Floods in eastern Uganda kill at least 24, government and Red Cross say

At least 24 people were killed in floods in eastern Uganda last weekend, according to a recent toll from the Uganda Red Cross and the government.

The army and the Red Cross were still searching for the missing and evacuating affected people in the muddy floodwaters on Monday. Uganda Red Cross Spokesperson, Irene Nakasiita said the organisation continued to register families on Tuesday morning.

In the city of Mbale, two rivers burst their banks leading to dangerous mudslides. The police said a group of people died in the city of Mbale trapped in a minibus on their way to a party. Roads, homes, bridges and schools were destroyed.

"The water had engulfed a few things, the computers were already engulfed in water. We had the students learning materials, and the water was coming with a lot of force, so we just left the place, because we could not... we could not do much. Water was increasing at a very high speed, so so many things were lost", revealed Milton Chebet, Headteacher of school in Namakwekwe, Northern Mbale.

Mbale District has a population of over 500,000 people and is one of Uganda's densely populated areas.