One confirmed dead after Mbale building collapses, seven missing
Witnesses said that seven people were missing and are feared dead after the four-storey building collapsed on them in Namakwekwe estate in Northern city division in Mbale city.
Uganda Red Cross workers search for the survivors of the four-story building that collapsed in Namakwekwe in Mbale City. (Credit: Paul Watala)
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Uganda Police personnel in Mbale City and a team from Uganda Red Cross have recovered one body from the debris of a collapsed storied building.
On Saturday afternoon, May 2, witnesses said that seven people were missing and are feared dead after the four-storey building collapsed on them in Namakwekwe estate in Northern city division in Mbale city. 
Residents are looking helplessly and waiting for an excavator to come search for the survivors in the collapsed four-storey building in Mbale. (Credit: Paul Watala)
It is reported that the incident occurred at 2:00am on Saturday. Local authorities did not readily provide the names of the victims, saying that the supervisor had not been traced.
65-year-old Robert Okiring, whose house was damaged by debris from the collapse, told The New Vision that over ten people work on the site, and also use the structure for accommodation.
"Deep in the night, I heard aloud bang. I immediately ran out only to see the neighbour's structure reduced to broken bricks and mangled metal.
Part of my house was also badly damaged. I'm lucky to be alive," Okiring said.
One of the workers reported that he jumped from the second floor when he felt the structure shaking. He is admitted to the hospital with injuries sustained in the fall.
The excavator from Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park has been deployed to help in the search of the still missing people covered under the rubble.
Residents looking on as the excavator tries to remove the rubble in search of the survivors covered in the collapsed building in Namakwekwe, Northern city division, Mbale City. (Credit: Paul Watala)
By Saturday afternoon, the city authorities had not named the owner, nor the architect. Initial reports attributed the collapse to a lack of technical supervision by local authorities.
Uganda Red Cross initial reports indicate that six injured people were rushed to the hospital. It’s not clear if these were masons on the site.
Video (Courtesy: @UgandaRedCross)
"Our call centre alerted via its toll-free emergency line at 2:17am, and immediately deployed response teams to the scene. In coordination with the Uganda Police Force, local authorities, and community volunteers, teams initiated first aid, evacuation, and search and rescue operations.
An excavator removes the rubble in search of the suspected eight that are still missing in the collapsed four-storey building in Mbale City. (Credit: Paul Watala)
An excavator has now been deployed to support ongoing efforts. Rescue teams are working carefully to reach individuals believed to still be trapped beneath the debris. Attempts to contact some of the alleged missing persons have been unsuccessful, with calls going unanswered, further heightening concern that they may still be within the collapsed structure.
Operations remain active, with responders proceeding cautiously to maximise chances of survival while ensuring safety at the site, reads a statement by Irene Nakasita, the URCS Director of Communications.