Guinea Landfill Collapse Kills 30 Amid Safety Warnings

A landslide at Dar Es Salam, Guinea’s largest open-air landfill on the outskirts of Conakry, killed 30 people and seriously injured at least six others early Sunday, according to the Guinean government. Heavy rain caused a mound of rubbish to collapse, burying nearby tents and shacks and destroying homes. Rescue workers used excavators and other equipment to search the debris for survivors and recover bodies, while authorities said medical care and assistance would be provided to those affected. The landfill had been scheduled to close on the same day as the disaster. In the days before the collapse, the government issued eviction orders to residents living nearby because of concerns that the waste mound could fail. Although many residents left, local authorities said others remained in the area when the landslide occurred. Territorial Administration and Decentralisation Minister Dienabou Touré said the remaining families would be relocated. Residents had previously protested and appealed to officials to close the dump. Activist Abou Hamza told Agence France-Presse that local residents had organized sit-ins and invited government departments to address the danger, but said their warnings were not taken seriously. He blamed the state for failing to implement promised safety measures. The tragedy occurred in a country rich in bauxite, iron ore, gold and diamonds, but where 43.7% of the population lives below the national poverty line, according to the World Bank. Approximately 3.7 million of Guinea’s 15.1 million residents live on less than $4.20 per day.

At least 30 people were killed in Guinea on Sunday after a massive section of the Dar Es Salam open-air landfill collapsed in Conakry, burying nearby shacks and trapping victims beneath a large mass of garbage. The landfill is the largest waste dump in Guinea’s capital. Guinea News reported that the weight of the waste caused a three-story building beneath the landfill to collapse, while heavy overnight rainfall washed over the refuse and created dangerous conditions. Six people were seriously injured, several homes were destroyed, and authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation to look for survivors. The disaster occurred despite official warnings about the site’s hazards. According to The Associated Press, the landfill had been scheduled to close on Sunday after sanitation officials raised concerns about its safety. The decision followed a similar incident in recent years. Residents living near the dump had reportedly received eviction notices and were ordered to leave as a precaution. However, many people remained in the area when the collapse occurred. Dienabou Touré, Guinea’s minister of territorial administration and decentralization, said authorities would relocate the remaining families. The landfill has a history of deadly accidents. Reuters reported that torrential rains caused a mudslide at the same site in 2017, killing at least eight people. The latest collapse prompted emergency personnel, including staff from the National Agency for the Management of Emergencies and Humanitarian Disasters, to respond to the scene. The incident highlights the dangers faced by communities living near poorly managed waste facilities, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.

A landslide at a large waste dump in Conakry, Guinea, killed 30 people after heavy overnight rain caused part of the mound to collapse, according to the government. The disaster occurred at about 2am in the Gbessia commune, burying tents, shacks and other nearby structures. Six people were seriously injured and 16 others sustained minor injuries. Rescue workers used excavators and other equipment to search through the debris. Witnesses said the collapsed section was large enough to bury an apartment building as well as more precarious dwellings. Cire Diallo, a woman at the scene, told reporters that all five of her children had died. The incident happened less than a week after Guinea’s government announced plans to close the landfill and move the waste outside Conakry because the site was considered unsafe. The rainy season regularly brings landslides and deadly flash floods to crowded, underdeveloped cities in parts of West Africa, making poorly managed waste sites particularly hazardous. Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the landfill to assess the damage and oversee the response. The government urged residents to remain calm, show solidarity and follow instructions from rescue workers and authorities. The tragedy highlights the contrast between Guinea’s substantial natural-resource wealth and its severe infrastructure and poverty challenges. Guinea has the world’s largest bauxite reserves and the untapped iron-ore deposit at Simandou, where a major mining project began in November. Nevertheless, a World Bank report said that 3.7 million of the country’s 15.1 million people live on less than $4.20 a day.