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At least 300 feared dead in Uganda landslides
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 02 - 03 - 2010

At least 300 people, including dozens of children, were feared dead after heavy rain triggered landslides that swept
through villages on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Uganda, dpa quoted officials
as saying today.
The chairman of the eastern Bududa district, Wilson Watira, told
the German Press Agency dpa that mud and boulders crashed through
homes and health centres overnight in the villages of Nameti, Kubewo
and Nankobe.
"We estimate that 300 people died," Watira said. "As I speak, we
are trying to rescue people. All the houses are buried and it is
difficult to recover all the dead bodies from the rubble ... the
situation is terrible."
Deputy Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Musa Eceru
told dpa that over 70 bodies had been recovered by late Tuesday
afternoon.
Around 250 people were missing, including 50 children who took
shelter in a health centre that was buried beneath the mud, Watira
said.
"The health centre where the children took shelter cannot even be
traced," he said. "It was totally smashed and is covered with mud."
"Those rescued (out of the 250 missing) number only 14," he added.
Rescue efforts are being undermined by lack of modern equipment,
local officials said. People are using hoes and other small tools to
remove the dead and injured.
The minister for the northern region, David Wakikona, who rushed
to the scene, said that at least 10,000 people have been displaced.
The government is mobilizing aid and rescue equipment, including
excavators to help alleviate the situation. The army has been ordered
to help.
Landslides often occur on Elgon and also the mountains of the
Ruwenzori range on the other side of the country during heavy rains,
but this is by far the most serious incident.


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