The death toll from a devastating landslide at Kampala’s Kiteezi refuse dump in Uganda has climbed to 13, police authorities reported on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred late Friday night as heavy rains triggered a large portion of the landfill to collapse, burying several homes on the outskirts and causing extensive destruction.
Initially, the Kampala Capital City Authority reported eight fatalities, but the number has since risen.
“The latest we have is 13 dead, but rescue services are continuing,” Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said.
Rescue teams continue to search for survivors, with at least 14 people rescued so far, though the exact number of those still trapped remains uncertain.
The Uganda Red Cross has set up tents for those displaced by the disaster.
Kiteezi, Kampala’s only landfill, has been in use for decades, growing into a massive hill and raising concerns among residents about hazardous waste and environmental dangers.
Efforts to establish a new landfill have faced significant delays.
The incident in Kampala mirrors similar disasters in other African countries, including a 2017 landslide in Ethiopia that killed at least 115 people and a 2018 incident in Mozambique that claimed 17 lives.
