About 17 people have so far been confirmed dead following a mudslide that hit Rubanda district on Tuesday 26 evening after heavy rainfall.
Martin Owor, the Commissioner for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management in the Office of the Prime Minister said yesterday government had confirmed 13 deaths, adding that the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) team was on the way to assess the situation in the district that is located in south western Uganda.
According to Mr Owor, the mudflow washed away Nfasha trading Centre, which hosts people mostly from Bufundi and Muko sub counties. The dead, he said, were 11 from Muko and two from Bufundi sub county.
According to owor, 15 people were injured and were admitted in Kabale Hospital as the mudslide washed away seven homes and damaged over 50 others.
“The number of missing persons is being established through a house-to-house assessment. There are fears some people could have been washed into Lake Bunyonyi,” Owor said.
Officials from the OPM are in the area to assess all the five affected sub counties of Muko, Nyamweru, Ikumba, Ruhisha and Bufundi so as to deliver the appropriate relief items such as food.
Meanwhile, government has dispatched 25 metric tons (one trailer) of relief food for the survivors, while each of the bereaved families will be given three bags (300kgs) of relief food to support mourners.
“The balance of the relief food will be given to registered survivors following the on-going assessment,” the statement reads in part.
Sironko Bududa mudslides
As a result of the recent mudslides that hit Bududa and Sironko districts, Owor said Government has delivered 50 metric tons (500 bags or two trailers) of relief food to Sironko. Bududa survivors, he said received 25 metric tons of relief food.
“The bereaved families will receive additional 100kgs of maize flour and 100kgs of beans this week when more deliveries are made to Sironko, Bududa and Bulambuli,” he said, adding that government intends to resume the use of earthmoving excavators in the search for the remaining 8 bodies. The mudslide buried 10 people in Sironko.
Kisiizi floods disaster
According to Owor, as a response to floods that hit the area leading to the loss of three children and destruction of facilities, the OPM says it will deliver a donation of 200 hospital mattresses, 200 hospital blankets and 400 hospital bed sheets by first week of October.
Owor also said government has repaired the water supply system, reconnected the hospital to electricity and repaired the generator destroyed by the floods.
The OPM says the main cause of the increasing incidences of climate related disasters is due to wetlands degradation and tree cutting.
