At least 30 people have been killed and six others seriously injured after a massive landfill collapsed in Guinea's capital Conakry. The landslide occurred on Sunday, August 23, just hours before the site was set to be closed.
Heavy rains trigger collapse
Authorities said that heavy rains, which started at around 2am, washed over the refuse at Dar Es Salam landfill - the largest landfill in Guinea's capital - and triggered a landslide that buried nearby structures. The mountainous heap of refuse collapsed under the weight of the rain.
Search and rescue underway
A search and rescue operation was underway to find survivors. Several homes were destroyed in the incident. The site, an open-air waste dump, had been designated for closure on Sunday, an official said.
Residents affected
Locals living around the landfill had been given eviction notices, which forced many to leave the area, but many others were still around at the time of the disaster, according to authorities.
"We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere," Dienabou Touré, the minister of territorial administration and decentralization, said at the scene.
The west African country is mineral-rich with huge deposits of bauxite, the largest in the world. It also has iron ore, gold, diamonds and minerals. Despite its rich resources, 43.7% of the population lives below the national poverty line, according to the World Bank.
