10 killed as rains, floods batter eastern Uganda

At least 10 people were killed and 12 others went missing after floods triggered by torrential rains battered eastern Uganda, authorities said on Monday.

In a statement, Esther Anyakun Davinia, the minister of state for relief, disaster preparedness, and refugees, said 10 bodies have so far been recovered from the badly affected districts of Mbale and Kapchorwa-seven from Mbale and three from Kapchorwa.

A search operation is underway to find 12 missing people, she added.

Mbale is 200 kilometers (124 miles) and Kapchorwa is 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of the capital Kampala.

The minister requested people to leave all the potential waterways in hills, valleys, and landslide-prone areas.

Red Cross spokesperson Ritah Nakasita told the media that 1,152 households had been affected in the two districts, adding that those displaced by floods are now camping in school buildings and other state buildings.

Maasa Swaibu, an eyewitness, told Anadolu Agency he saw two persons traveling in a vehicle swept by floods into the Nabuyonga River.

Area police spokesman Rogers Taitika said in a statement that local police and a team from the Uganda Red Cross Society were doing their best to save lives.