KHARTOUM | Heavy rainfall has triggered at least 18 deaths, over 10 injuries, and more than 20 people missing after four landslides struck the mountainous Sebei Sub‑region spanning the districts of Kapchorwa District, Kween District and Bukwo District in eastern Uganda.
Located some 2,345 metres above sea level, the Sebei region typically contends with rockslides, but residents say the scale of these mudslides took them by surprise. As part of the response, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) dispatched 50 soldiers, with 100 more expected, to assist in debris clearing and search‑and‑rescue efforts.
In Kwanwa Village, Kapteka Parish, Chesower Sub‑county in Bukwo District, four houses were buried, and several people lost their lives. One of the victims, 25‑year‑old Charity Chelangat, had just graduated with a diploma in nursing before she and her mother were swept away in the disaster.
Local councils are calling on the government for immediate assistance and relocation of residents in high‑risk zones. “The rains are still on. The death toll may rise,” said a local official in Tuikat Sub‑county.