At least 30 people have been killed after a huge mound of rubbish collapsed onto homes near a major landfill site in Guinea’s capital, Conakry.
The disaster occurred at about 2am local time in the Dar-es-Salam area after heavy rain overnight, according to the Guinean government.
Another 22 people were injured, including six who sustained serious injuries.
The government said significant resources and personnel, including members of the military, had been deployed to search for survivors and recover victims from the collapsed waste.
Rescue workers were seen using excavators to search through the mountain of scattered rubbish as residents gathered around the site.
There are fears the death toll could rise, as some people are believed to remain buried beneath the debris.
One woman told local media that all five of her children were killed in the collapse.
Neighbourhood leader Lancine Sylla said rescuers had already recovered 18 bodies and taken them to a morgue.
“We have pulled out 18 bodies that were taken to the morgue,” Sylla told AFP.
Guinea’s Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah visited the scene to assess the situation and supervise the ongoing rescue operation.
The landfill has a history of deadly collapses. Another landslide at the same site killed 10 people in 2017.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of waste disposal sites and communities living close to landfill areas in Conakry.
AFP.
