At least 30 people have been killed after a huge mound of rubbish collapsed onto homes near a landfill in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, following heavy overnight rain.
The disaster struck the Dar-es-Salam landfill in the Gbessia commune at around 2am on Sunday, burying homes and makeshift dwellings beneath tonnes of waste.
Guinea’s government said six people were seriously injured and another 16 suffered minor injuries, while rescue teams continued searching for people feared trapped beneath the debris.
Military personnel and other emergency services were deployed to the scene, with excavators being used to clear through the collapsed rubbish.
Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the area as rescue and recovery operations continued.
One woman, Cire Diallo, told reporters that all five of her children had been killed in the disaster.
The landfill, the largest in Conakry, had already been identified as a safety risk during the rainy season. Authorities had announced plans to close the site just days before the collapse, with Sunday reportedly scheduled to be its final day of operation.
The death toll remains provisional as search operations continue.
