Uganda Landslides: With Over 100 Still Missing, Death Toll Climbs

The death toll from the massive landslide in Uganda on Monday that left hundreds of homes in ruins is continuing to climb, according to the latest word from officials.

The death toll has now climbed to 30 confirmed deaths, but the number of missing people is much more than that. According to reports, more than 100 people are still missing after the devastating landslides, and the hope of finding any more survivors has run out.

“There is no hope of finding any more survivors,” Disaster Preparedness Minister Stephen Mallinga said in a statement. “The focus is on the recovery of bodies, assessment of the needs of the displaced and provision of humanitarian assistance.”

The government advises that any residents near the affected areas relocate to a safer area.

Mallinga pointed out that, while already devastating, the death toll could have been worse. “When the landslide occurred at about 2 pm, many people had gone to the market and some children were at school. Both the market and the school were not affected,” Mallinga said.

The landslides hit in a region of Uganda where coffee is grown–roughly 50 percent of Uganda’s coffee output comes from eastern Uganda–and it’s reported that 11 coffee-producing villages were damaged by the landslides, and many crops suffered extensive damage.