What you need to know:
- The death toll from the landslide at the garbage dump in Kampala city’s Kawempe Division, central Uganda, has risen to 18, according to Lillian Aber, the Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, on Sunday.
- “The KCCA Landfill in Kiteezi experienced a structural failure in the waste mass this morning, leading to a collapse of a section of the landfill,” the KCCA announced in a press release on its official X account, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
The death toll from the landslide at the garbage dump in Kampala city’s Kawempe Division, central Uganda, has risen to 18, according to Lillian Aber, the Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, on Sunday.
Speaking to Xinhua over the phone, Aber confirmed that a total of 18 bodies had been recovered.
As of Saturday, earlier reports indicated the death toll stood at eight.
“Rescue teams are working continuously to recover more bodies if any remain,” she stated.
“The government has provided food, shelter, security, and is working to relocate survivors to safer locations,” Aber added.
Earlier, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), which manages the city’s waste, reported that the landslide occurred on Saturday morning following a structural failure in the waste mass.
“The KCCA Landfill in Kiteezi experienced a structural failure in the waste mass this morning, leading to a collapse of a section of the landfill,” the KCCA announced in a press release on its official X account, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
Established in 1996, the Kiteezi landfill spans 36 acres (14 hectares) and serves as the dumpsite for waste collected from all five divisions of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, with a population of 1.87 million.
On Sunday afternoon, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni ordered the army’s Special Forces Command to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
In a statement posted on his official X account, Museveni questioned how people were allowed to settle in such a hazardous area.
“The first question that arises is: ‘Who permitted people to live near such a dangerous heap?’ Even without the landslide burying people, the effluent alone poses serious health risks,” he said.
Museveni further instructed the Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), Anne Muhairwe, to promptly investigate the situation and provide him with a report.
He also directed the Prime Minister to oversee the removal of all households from the danger zone, in addition to ensuring the recovery, if possible, of those still buried.
Museveni ordered financial assistance for the families of the deceased, providing $1,300 per victim and $265 for each injured person.
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