A massive landfill collapsed in Guinea's capital Conakry, killing at least 30 people and injuring six others. The landslide occurred just hours before the site was due to be shut down.
Heavy rainfall triggers landslide
Heavy rainfall on Sunday, August 23, caused the enormous mound of waste to give way at the Dar Es Salam landfill — the largest in Guinea's capital. Officials confirmed that heavy rain, beginning at around 2am, overwhelmed the waste, triggering a landslide that engulfed nearby buildings.
A search and rescue operation was launched in a bid to locate survivors. A number of homes were destroyed in the incident.
Residents had received eviction notices
The site, an open-air waste dump, had been earmarked for closure on Sunday, according to an official. Residents living in the vicinity of the landfill had previously received eviction notices, prompting many to vacate the area. However, a significant number remained at the time of the disaster, authorities confirmed.
"We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere," Dienabou Touré, the minister of territorial administration and decentralisation, said at the scene.
Resource-rich nation faces poverty
The west African nation is abundant in natural resources, boasting the world's largest deposits of bauxite, alongside substantial reserves of iron ore, gold, diamonds and other minerals. Despite its considerable wealth of resources, 43.7% of the population lives below the national poverty line, according to the World Bank.
