At least 30 people have died in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, after a large mound of rubbish at a landfill collapsed onto neighbouring homes following heavy rains.
The disaster occurred around 2:00 a.m. local time on Sunday in the Dar-es-Salam neighbourhood of Bbessia district, on the outskirts of Conakry, according to the Guinean government.
Six other people were seriously injured in the collapse.
Rescue Operation Underway
Authorities deployed significant emergency resources to the scene as rescue teams searched through the debris for people who may still be trapped.
Guinea’s Prime Minister, Amadou Oury Bah, visited the site as excavators worked through the collapsed landfill while residents gathered nearby to watch the rescue operation.
The government said measures had also been taken to provide medical treatment for the injured and assistance to people affected by the disaster.
Before the official death toll was announced, local neighbourhood leader Lancine Sylla told AFP that rescuers had already recovered 18 bodies.
“We have pulled out 18 bodies that were taken to the morgue,” Sylla said.
Warnings Had Been Issued
The tragedy has raised questions about safety around the landfill, particularly because authorities had reportedly ordered residents to leave the area in recent days amid concerns that the site could collapse.
Former Guinean prime minister and opposition figure Cellou Dalein Diallo, who lives in exile, described the incident as a tragedy and called for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
Diallo noted that the closure of the dump had reportedly been scheduled for Sunday, August 23.
He called on the authorities to establish what caused the disaster and ensure that lessons were drawn from the incident.
Heavy Rains Blamed for Collapse
The government said heavy rains contributed to the early-morning collapse, sending tonnes of waste and debris onto nearby homes.
The incident highlights the dangers faced by communities living close to informal or overloaded waste-disposal sites, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
Guinea is currently led by General Mamadi Doumbouya, who came to power following a military coup in 2021 and was elected president in December 2025.
Rescue and recovery operations are continuing as authorities work to determine whether more people remain trapped beneath the collapsed landfill.
