World News
Guinea landfill collapse kills at least 30 people in Conakry
Heavy overnight rains triggered a massive waste slide at the Dar Es Salam dump, crushing nearby homes as authorities initiated rescue and relocation efforts.
The short version
- A massive collapse of refuse at the Dar Es Salam landfill in Conakry engulfed nearby shacks and homes, killing at least 30 people.
- At least 22 others were injured, with six suffering serious injuries, prompting an emergency search-and-rescue response using heavy machinery.
- The disaster took place on the exact date the hazardous open-air dump was scheduled for official closure.
- Rescue teams continue searching for victims beneath the debris while officials pledge to relocate remaining area residents.
Key facts
- The refuse collapse occurred early Sunday around 2:00 to 3:00 a.m. local time following heavy overnight rainfall in Conakry's Dar Es Salam neighborhood.[The Guardian · ABC News · Al Jazeera]
- Government officials confirmed that at least 30 people died, with six individuals suffering serious injuries.[The Guardian · BBC News · Associated Press · ABC News]
- Military sanitation officials and cabinet ministers confirmed the open-air landfill had been scheduled for closure on Sunday due to safety hazards.[The Guardian · ABC News · Al Jazeera]
- Emergency services deployed excavators and military personnel to comb through debris and rescue possible survivors.[The Guardian · BBC News · Al Jazeera]
- The Dar Es Salam landfill previously experienced a deadly mudslide during heavy rains in 2017.[Fox News · BBC News]
What remains uncertain
- The total number of people missing or still buried remains unconfirmed as rescue efforts continue.[BBC News · Al Jazeera]
- The precise casualty figures for non-fatal injuries vary, with some government statements citing 22 total injured while other initial reports noted only the six critically wounded.[The Guardian · BBC News · ABC News]
Sources
- Landslide at landfill in the capital of Guinea kills 30 people, officials sayABC News - International
- A landslide at a landfill in the capital of Guinea kills 30 people, officials sayAssociated Press
- Landslide at waste mound in Guinea capital kills 30, government saysThe Guardian - World
- Massive garbage heap collapses onto homes, killing at least 30 as rescuers search for survivorsFox News - World News
- Guinea rubbish landfill collapse kills 30BBC News - World
- Landfill collapse in Guinea kills at least 30 peopleAl Jazeera