The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Mbale, Uganda | THE IDEPENDENT |The government has extended the search for the bodies of the Bulambuli landslide victims. The extension follows appeals from local leaders and relatives of the missing victims.
The landslides hit the district last month and so far 42 bodies have been recovered.
Initially, the government had planned to end the search for bodies on December 27, but the operation will now continue.
On Monday, the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Relief, and Refugees, Lillian Aber during a visit to the Buluganya landslide site said that the government had called off the rescue operations after it realized that there was no hope of finding any more survivors.
According to UPDF Third Division spokesperson Patrick Oware, hard conditions on the ground have severely hindered manual recovery efforts.
“The ground is hard, and we cannot carry out manual recovery effectively,” Oware explained, noting that the two excavators provided by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) remain on-site as authorities await guidance from the Ministry of Disaster Management.
He pointed out that bodies buried under the soil have likely decomposed beyond recognition, making identification nearly impossible without DNA testing.
“While we respect the community’s desire to continue, we believe that further excavation may not yield significant results,” Owera said.
Annet Nandudu the LCV Chairperson of Bulambuli expressed happiness with the government’s decision to extend the search saying that they expect more bodies buried underground.
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