30 people killed in a landslide in the capital of Guinea, officials say
A landslide at a major landfill in Conakry, Guinea, has resulted in at least 30 deaths following heavy rainfall. Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to relocate families living in the vicinity of the waste site.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the intersection of urban poverty, inadequate waste management infrastructure, and climate-related risks in developing nations.
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CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — A mountainous heap of refuse collapsed at the largest landfill in Guinea ‘s capital of Conakry early on Sunday, killing 30 people, according to the central government.
Authorities said that heavy rains, which started at around 2 a.m., washed over the refuse at Dar Es Salam — the largest landfill in Conakry — and triggered a landslide that buried nearby shacks. A search and rescue operation was underway to find survivors. Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed.
The site, an open-air waste dump which is the largest in the city, had been designated for closure on Sunday, according to Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion.
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