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Fifteen dead, more than 100 missing out on in east Uganda landslide

Fifteen individuals have actually passed away and at least 100 more are missing out on after a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried lots of homes across several villages in eastern Uganda, the prime minister's office and police stated on Thursday.

The landslide occurred on Wednesday in Bulambuli district, about 300 km (190 miles) east of the capital Kampala.

A minimum of 40 households were totally buried, the Uganda Red Cross Society stated in a statement, while others were partially damaged.

We have 15 dead and worries are that there are many more bodies still buried, stated Charles Odongtho, spokesperson for the Workplace of the Prime Minister (OPM) which overseas disaster response work.

He added that more than 100 individuals were still missing out on throughout 8 towns.

We are surprised that it was this terrible, Odongtho stated. He stated all bridges in the area had been swept away and roads swamped by water.

Cops stated that 113 people were missing and that blockaded roadways were avoiding vehicles, consisting of ambulances, from performing rescue operations.

Uganda has been struck by uncommonly heavy rainfall because October that has set off widespread flooding and landslides in some locations.

On Tuesday downpours triggered the River Nile, the main branch of which goes through Uganda, to break its banks and flood a highway linking Kampala to the country's northwest, according to the Uganda National Roadways Authority and police.

Big swathes on the slopes of Ugandan mountains have been denuded of their forests and other plant life cover for cultivable land, increasing the danger of landslides.

The area where the landslide occurred is mountainous and has experienced similar disasters in the past, including an avalanche in 2010 that killed a minimum of 80 individuals.

(source: Reuters)