Africa-Press – Uganda. Mr Christopher Masereka, one of the survivors, said he lost his wife Geneva Nziabake, 45, his children Mbabu Christine, 14, Paul Thembo, 3, and a two-year-old grandson Joseph Mumbere.
He said his daughter Angela Kyakimwa, 8, survived and she is currently admitted at St Paul Health Center IV in Kasese Municipality.
“We were sleeping in the same house by the time of the incident, but [I survived because] the mudslides pushed me out of the house and dumped me near the valley banks; it’s where the people found me,” he said.
A river flows through Kadingidi-Kamakombo valley during the rainy season but according to local residents it has been flooding but not causing much damage.
Mr Edison Baluku, 46, a survivor, said at around 3:30am, when the rain became too much, he decided to move outside his house and went to his vanilla garden a few metres away from the house.
“I was in the gardening waiting the rain to stop and go back home, I saw stones mixed with mud coming towards me and I had to run away and later when I started checking I saw the body of my aunt (Geneva Nziabake) half way covered by mud and few metres away I saw another body of Joseph Mumbere, two-year-old,” He said.
He said he was sleeping in a separate house which was also partly damaged by landslides.
Mr Simon Buhaka, the local council chairperson for Kigoro village, said the rescue team were retrieving bodies from the debris of collapsed houses.
“Some of the bodies we found were covered by mud, and the local people and Red Cross team helped to retrieve the bodies. We are still doing a census to find out those who are missing,” He said.
Mr Steven Baluku Mbiti, 68, a witness, said people who live in the upper part of the river cultivated it up to its banks and that is why the area has experienced the landslide.
“People recently went ahead to start cultivating in the valley, remember in the hilly areas where the river originates from the whole place is bare and erosion can occur any time,” he said.
A rapid assessment by local leaders and Red Cross volunteers shows that 1,190 people from 170 households were affected by the disaster.
A temporary shelter has been set up for the displaced at Kogere Church of Uganda, Ms Irene Nakasita, the Red Cross spokesperson, said.
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