At least 80 people died and 400 were missing after a landslide triggered by torrential rain swept away entire villages in eastern Uganda, the Ugandan Red Cross said on Wednesday.
“Eighty bodies have been recovered and the missing are more than 400 now, after 100 people were reported buried in a trading centre where they had taken shelter,” said spokesperson Catherine Ntabadde.
On Tuesday, officials said more than 55 people had died with about 300 missing.
The landslide on Monday evening followed days of heavy rains in the eastern district of Bududa.
Tonnes of relief aid and a helicopter carrying rescuers had been dispatched to the region, Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Tarsis Kabwegyere said.
Widespread flooding has also affected several other villages in the region near Mount Elgon, which straddles the Uganda-Kenya border, the Red Cross said. — Sapa-AFP