Emotions run high as rescue efforts continue at Kiteezi landfill

Each day, Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso District is a beehive of activity, with garbage trucks hauling in degradable and biodegradable garbage from metropolitan Kampala.

But yesterday was different following the collapse of the landfill on Saturday which destroyed property and killed more than 20 people.

Hundreds of people gathered around piles of garbage as four excavators dug through the debris in a rescue-turned-recovery operation, as hopes dwindled of finding anyone alive beneath the debris.

One excavator operator said he had dug for hours, but wasn’t able to find a survivor or retrieve a body.

“To find survivors at this point is difficult, but we shall continue doing our job with the hope that we shall [find] some people still alive,” he said.

On the sidelines, several distressed family members and friends comforted each other, hoping and praying that the excavation process would succeed. Some, completely inconsolable, doubted whether their loved ones would ever be found.

“My sister is still buried under that debris. Several times, I have tried asking the excavating team for updates, in vain. They just keep saying, ‘wait, wait, wait. But wait until when?” a worried Halima Nabigabo said.

“We shall stay here, even if it is for days until they find my sister,” she added.

The team managing the exercise said more machines were being brought in to speed up the work.

Police yesterday said they recovered 21 bodies, with fears the number would rise as more sections of the collapsed landfill are excavated.

The deceased, many of whom were informal workers like scrap dealers, had built houses, including makeshift ones, within the site to easily access their places of work. Daniel Mwebaze, 40, a scrap collector living just a few meters from the site, said he was awakened by a disturbing blast on Saturday morning.

“The sound was like that of a bursting car tyre and [it] happened within seconds,” he said. When he ran outside, he found people from different neighbourhoods gathering in the area, all curious to discover the source of the noise. A few minutes later, they learnt that part of the landfill had collapsed.

The news was unbearable for some people who fainted while others burst into tears, Mr Mwebaze said.

Even with the stench of rotting garbage, many people flocked to the landfill out of curiosity. Many recorded videos and took pictures on their mobile phones.

Security personnel, including police and the military, later began sending away people warning that it was not safe. But the adamant crowds refused to heed the advice and stayed put.