Large landfill in Uganda buries houses - at least 16 dead
Tons of garbage have buried more than a dozen people, including children, in Uganda's capital Kampala. By Sunday afternoon, 16 bodies had been recovered from the landslide that occurred the previous day, police told the German Press Agency. Heavy rain caused vast amounts of garbage to slide off a hill in Kampala's suburb of Kiteezi, burying nearby houses.
Police expect more victims to be found under the rubble. Rescue operations continue. The Red Cross has set up a camp to accommodate affected families.
Kampala's city administration announced on the online platform X that 14 people have been rescued so far. The authority has long complained about insufficient funds for waste management in the city of two million inhabitants. The dump in Kiteezi, about 11 kilometers from the city center, is reportedly the only landfill in the city. Residents complain about health hazards and pollution due to the garbage mound.
The landfill in Kiteezi, being the only waste disposal site in Kampala, has become a significant concern due to its size and insufficient funding for management. Unfortunately, the unstable conditions led to a landslide, burying more waste and potentially more lives.
