A catastrophic collapse at Guinea's largest landfill claimed at least 30 lives and left six others seriously injured when mountains of waste gave way and crashed into residential buildings in the capital city of Conakry. The disaster struck at the Dar es Salaam waste site after overnight rainfall weakened the structural integrity of the towering garbage heaps.
The weight of the collapsing waste brought down a three-story building and destroyed several other homes in the vicinity, according to local reports. Emergency crews have been searching through the debris for survivors and additional victims trapped beneath the rubble.
In a tragic irony, authorities had scheduled the facility to close on the very day of the collapse, having previously warned about dangerous conditions at the site. Local residents had been instructed to evacuate the area, though many remained in their homes when the landslide occurred.
"We will ensure that the families who remain are relocated elsewhere," said Djenabou Toure, the minister of territorial administration, speaking at the disaster scene.
This is not the first deadly incident at the Conakry landfill. A similar collapse in 2017, also triggered by heavy rainfall, killed at least eight people.
