Death toll after landslides bury 40 homes in villages in eastern Uganda rises to at least 15

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least 15 people have died and 113 others are still missing after landslides buried homes in six villages in eastern Uganda, police said.

Another 15 injured people have been rescued and admitted to Buluganya Health Center.

The Uganda Red Cross Society said Thursday that 13 bodies had been recovered after landslides buried 40 homes and the rescue effort was continuing.

Local media reported that authorities expect the death toll could rise to 30.

The landslides happened after heavy rains on Wednesday night in the mountainous district of Bulambuli, where landslides are common. The district is about 280 kilometers (173miles) east of the capital, Kampala.

A journalist in the area told The Associated Press that local officials said an excavator would be brought to assist in the rescue efforts, but the roads were covered in mud and the rain was still falling.

The affected area is about 50 acres (20ha) with homesteads and farmlands spread downhill.

Photos and videos of people digging through mud in search of victims were shared on social media platforms. Some of the houses were completed covered by mud while others only had a roof showing above the ground.

The Daily Monitor newspaper reported that most of the bodies recovered so far were those of children.

The prime minister’s office issued a disaster alert on Wednesday stating that heavy rains across the country had cut off major roads.

Two rescue boats capsized on Wednesday during a rescue mission on River Nile where Pakwach bridge was submerged.