Floods and mudslides leave at least six people dead in Uganda
Kampala, Thursday
At least six people have been killed and nearly 50 are missing in mudslides caused by heavy rains across eastern Uganda’s Mount Elgon region, disaster relief officials have said.
Dozens of homes and farms have also been destroyed during the downpour in the last two days.
The government has been trying to relocate people from the mountainous areas to safer terrain.
In the north-west, the River Nile has burst its banks near Pakwach bridge, cutting off road links.
Road authority
The roads authority has issued an alert, urging people to use alternative transport while the debris on the highway is cleared.
Rain-triggered disasters, including flash floods and landslides, have killed at least 250 people and affected some three million people across East Africa in recent weeks, with about half of the deaths occurring in Kenya.
Weather experts say the rains have been enhanced by a phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole which, when positive, can cause a rise in water temperatures in the Indian Ocean of up to 2C.
Homes have been demolished, crops destroyed and roads swept away, hampering relief efforts in far-flung areas. The Horn of Africa is expected to be much wetter as a tropical disturbance moves in from the Indian Ocean.
In December the seasonal rains are expected to continue to move south to affect south-west Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and northern Zambia. - BBC
