At least 30 people have died after a mountainous heap of refuse collapsed at a massive landfill just hours before it was going to be closed. The incident occurred at the largest landfill in Guinea's capital of Conakry early on Sunday, August 23, and was caused by heavy rains.
Rescue efforts underway
Authorities said that heavy rains, which started at around 2am, washed over the refuse at the Dar Es Salam landfill and triggered a landslide that buried nearby structures. A search and rescue operation was underway to find survivors. Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed.
Background and context
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.
Closure and relocation plans
The site, an open-air waste dump, had been designated for closure on Sunday, according to Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion. 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.
