A landslide at a large garbage dump in Kampala, Uganda, has killed at least 18 people, according to the local police report on Sunday.
The disaster struck at the Kiteezi landfill in northern Kampala on Saturday after heavy rains caused a collapse of the waste mound.
Local media reported that the landslide buried homes, people, and livestock under piles of garbage.
The death toll was initially reported as eight, including two children, but has since risen. Patrick Onyango, a spokesman for Kampala’s metropolitan police, confirmed that 14 bodies were recovered on Saturday and four more on Sunday.
Onyango said around 1,000 people have been displaced by the disaster. “We are working with other government agencies and community leaders to assist those affected,” he told reporters.
Kampala’s Mayor, Erias Lukwago, described the incident as a “national disaster.” He accused corrupt officials of mishandling funds meant for maintaining the landfill. “Many, many more could still be buried in the heap as the rescue operation is ongoing,” Lukwago said.
President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the army’s special forces to assist in the search and rescue efforts. He also demanded an investigation into how people were allowed to live so close to such a dangerous site. Museveni announced compensation payments of five million Ugandan shillings ($1,300) for each person who died and one million shillings ($270) for those injured.
Museveni’s statement on X (formerly Twitter) also called for the removal of all residents from the “danger zone” near the landfill.
Excavators continued to dig through the debris on Sunday as local residents gathered, some crying in despair. The Kiteezi landfill, which has been in operation since 1996, handles nearly all of Kampala’s waste and was already at full capacity, according to Lukwago. He had previously warned of health risks and dangers posed by the overflowing waste.
Recent heavy rains have caused similar disasters in other parts of East Africa. In February 2010, mudslides in eastern Uganda’s Mount Elgon region killed more than 350 people. Last month, mudslides in southern Ethiopia claimed around 250 lives.
