Eight killed in Uganda landfill collapse

KAMPALA: Eight people, including two children, were killed when mountains of garbage collapsed at a landfill in the Ugandan capital Kampala on Saturday.
Local media said homes, people and livestock animals were engulfed in the landslide at the vast garbage dump in Kiteezi, a neighbourhood in the north of Kampala, after heavy rainfall.
“On a very sad note eight people have so far been found dead, six adults and two children,” the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) said in a statement.
The disaster comes eight months after the ceremonial head of the authority described the situation at the landfill as a “national crisis”.
The KCCA said in the statement posted on X 14 people had been rescued and taken to hospital. It did not disclose their condition.
“The rescue operation is still ongoing and we shall share updates as they come in,” it added.
Images from Kiteezi showed a Ugandan police excavator churning through huge mounds of rubbish as large crowds of local residents looked on.
Some were gathered behind a yellow police tape, carrying pictures of their missing loved ones.
Structural failure
The KCCA said there was a “structural failure in waste mass this morning resulting in a collapsed section of the landfill”.
“Our teams, along with other government agencies, are on ground taking necessary measures to ensure the area is secure and to prevent any further incidents,” it added.
“The level of damage is still being assessed.”
In January, KCCA ceremonial head Erias Lukw­ago, who carries the honorary title of Lord Mayor of Kampala, had warned that people working and living near the Kiteezi landfill were at risk of numerous health hazards due to overflowing waste.
Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2024