At least four more bodies were retrieved from the Kiteezi landfill on Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total number of dead recovered that day to six, according to police reports.
The death toll from the city landfill disaster now stands at 30, with at least 30 more people still missing following last week’s tragic incident in which a landslide of garbage engulfed nearby homes.
Earlier in the day, two bodies were recovered from the site of the horrifying tragedy, which reports have revealed was allowed to happen despite officials being warned of the imminent danger.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango identified the latest recovered victims as Ronald Lwere, the brother of an earlier victim Raymond Kyakanyi, 20-year-old Hairati Natumanya, and a three-year-old toddler named Moses Owori. Additionally, Richard Okello, 31, Jane Alowo, 33, and six-year-old Jane Achengi were also among the deceased.
Onyango noted that the operation to recover bodies resumed with renewed intensity and has not been interrupted.
The recovery of these six bodies brings the total death toll to 30, with at least 30 more people still unaccounted for.
The tragedy has also led to a sharp increase in the number of displaced individuals seeking refuge at a Red Cross makeshift shelter. The number has risen from 150 to 175, including 50 children, 85 women—seven of whom are heavily pregnant—and the remaining men.
Deputy Red Cross spokesperson Johncliff Wamala expressed concern over the strain on available resources, emphasizing the urgent need for mattresses, as people currently only have blankets and bedsheets.
In a related development, police have arrested five individuals who were allegedly posing as victims of the Kiteezi disaster in an attempt to benefit from the relief efforts. Onyango warned that anyone found exploiting the situation would face legal consequences.
The situation at Kiteezi remains critical as authorities continue their rescue operations while managing the unfolding humanitarian crisis at the shelter.
