Uganda suffers the loss of 10 lives from devastating flooding
At least 10 people have reportedly died after heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides in Bugisu and Sebei sub-regions.
Eight bodies had so far been recovered by press time yesterday. The rain started at 11pm on Saturday until 8am yesterday.
The floods ravaged several areas in Mbale city, washing away some homes, vehicles, crops and damaging bridges.
In Mbale City, locals were yesterday morning fleeing from the raging waters as River Nabuyonga and Namatala burst the banks.
The floods also submerged roads, including Mbale- Soroti, Mbale-Tororo and Mbale–Tirinyi, paralysing traffic on the usually busy routes.
The most affected areas in Mbale City were the wards of Nabuyonga, Nkoma and Namakwekwe in Northern City Division and Namatala in Industrial City Division.
Mr Vinikhet Manana, a journalist working for BCU, a radio station in Mbale, and a resident of Kampala road, one of the areas affected by floods, said they had sleepless nights.
“The rain started at 11pm on Saturday until Sunday morning. We never slept, especially our neighbours in the lower part because it started flooding at midnight,” he said.
Mbale Industrial Park, Livingstone University, Resort Hotel, and Shekinah Glory Christian International School, Mbale were also submerged, but there were no fatalities reported by press time.
Mr Alex Nabude, one of the survivors, told Monitor that he saw a car that was washed away at Nabuyonga Bridge at about 5.30am yesterday.
“I was riding to town, but when I reached there [bridge], I found out that it had been submerged and I got afraid to cross it. I stood for some minutes and then a car came from one of the sides and the driver tried to maneuver, but it was washed away. I am sure he did not survive,” he said.
Preliminary information from eyewitnesses indicate that two cars were washed away at Mbale-Tororo road and the other at Mbale-Soroti road.
Mr Amir Mwesa, a taxi driver on Mbale-Tororo road, said a boda boda rider carrying two people, including a UPDF officer, were also hit by floods at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) check point on Mbale-Tororo road.
“Whenever it rains, this place floods, but this time, the floods were intense,” he said.
Among the deceased, one body was recovered from Maluku, and another in Half-London in Industrial City Division. Two other bodies were recovered from a stream behind Oxford High School and the other at URA check point.
Maj Isaac Oware, the UPDF 3rd Division spokesperson, said among the deceased was a UPDF officer, Sam Chemandwa.
“It is true Pte Sam Chemandwa drowned in the water and died. We have recovered the body and it is in Bugema barracks,” Maj Oware said.
The deceased was attached to UPDF headquarters in Kampala.
The Elgon region Police Spokesperson, Mr Rogers Taitika, told Monitor that they had so far recovered four bodies.
The floods also triggered muslides, which cut off Nkokonjeru–Wanale road in Wanale Sub-county.
The chairperson of Mbale, Mr Muhammad Mafabi, said the damage is overwhelming.
“The roads have been cut off and people have been displaced. Our teams will soon come up with the actual figures of the damage,” he said. Mr Mafabi said the floods were a sign of extreme climatic effects posed on humanity.
The chairperson of Bulambuli, Ms Annet Nandudu, said there were mudslides and waterlogging in the sub-counties of Bulago, Bukhalu and Bumufuni.
“We have registered mudslides and waterlogging, but we have no fatalities,” Ms Nandudu said.
He added that there were cracks on land in the sub-counties of Bulegeni, Bukhalu, Muyembe, and Nabongo.
Mr Geoffrey Khauka, the former chairperson of Bunambutye Sub-county, said locals were wading through floods yesterday
“Hundreds of families are still stranded after their houses were submerged by flood last night,” he said.
Source- Monitor News
