Uganda mudslide prompts evacuation of thousands

I found this article through BBC world news, then the Africa section. It was last updated on Friday, March 10th, 2010. I'm blogging about the mudslide in Uganda and whats currently happening. Thousands of people are being evacuated off hillsides in Uganda. The mudslide is believed that have killed over 350 people! About 4,000 people are being removed from their homes on Mount Elgon while the heavy rain continues.
Many bodies may never be recovered, officials say.


At the beginning of this week three villages in Bududa were covered in rock and mud. To this date only about 90 bodies have been found. About 60 school children who took cover in a health center all died. Wilson Watira says that up to 35,000 people may need to move. This disaster is blamed on local people cutting down trees on the hillside to raise and harvest crops. Volunteers and soldiers are still searching for bodies in the mud but it is difficult because the slope is so steep.

I hadn't heard of this disaster yet, so it caught my eye. It is very unfortunate for the people of Uganda. I was surprised that it was blamed on the local people cutting down trees on the hillside to cultivate crops. Hopefully the volunteers and soldiers that are searching for bodies stay determined and find all the missing bodies.

Picture courtesy BBC World News

http://http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8552827.stm