Skip to main content
WorldVoice 360
EcologyConakry, Guinea

30 Killed as Guinean Landfill Collapses on Homes

A dump mound in Conakry slumps onto houses killing at least 30; rescue teams scramble amid heavy rain and debris.

Source: bbc.co.uk1 min read
30 Killed as Guinean Landfill Collapses on Homes
Image via bbc.co.uk

In brief

A landfill mound collapsed onto houses in Conakry, Guinea, killing at least 30 people and injuring 22 others, some seriously. Heavy rain triggered the slide and the military was called in to search for survivors. Rescue workers used excavators to sift through scattered rubbish amid rising fears the death toll could increase further. Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah visited the scene, while local officials reported bodies being taken to the morgue and highlighted the danger of repeated disasters.

At least 30 people were killed when a mound of rubbish at a major waste site collapsed onto homes in Guinea's capital, Conakry, says the government.

An additional 22 people were injured, six seriously, in the city’s Dar‑es‑Salam area.

Significant resources and personnel – including the military – were deployed at about 02:00 local time after heavy rain overnight to search for survivors, the government added in a statement.

One woman told local media that all five of her children died in the disaster; there are fears that the death toll may rise further.

Rescuers were later seen using excavators to comb through a mountain of scattered rubbish at the site as local residents gathered nearby.

Guinea's Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah visited the scene to assess the situation and oversee the search efforts.

Neighbourhood leader Lancine Sylla earlier told AFP that he feared a heavy death toll, saying 18 bodies had been pulled out and taken to the morgue.

The site has witnessed a previous landslide in 2017 that killed 10 people, underscoring the persistent risk from the landfill mound.

Topics

More on this story