Conakry, 24 August (H.S.):

At least 22 people were killed after a landslide struck a major landfill in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, following heavy rainfall early Sunday. The incident occurred at the city’s main waste disposal site in the Dar es Salaam area, where a massive mound of garbage collapsed and swept into nearby makeshift settlements.

According to media reports, Guinea’s Civil Protection Service confirmed in its preliminary assessment that at least 22 people had died. The incident occurred at around 3 a.m. amid heavy rainfall. The downpour caused the enormous waste mound to shift before suddenly collapsing in the form of a landslide.

Several makeshift homes were buried under the debris. Emergency and rescue teams reached the site and launched an operation to search for people trapped beneath the rubble. Authorities fear that the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue.

Lieutenant Colonel Balde Mamadou Baillo, a sanitation officer with the Military Engineering Battalion, said the landfill had been scheduled to close on Sunday. Authorities had previously issued notices asking residents living nearby to vacate the area. Several families had moved to safer locations, but a large number of people were still present in the area when the disaster occurred.

Following the incident, Guinea’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Dienabou Toure, visited the site and said the administration would make arrangements to relocate all remaining families living in the area to safer locations.

Search and rescue operations are currently underway at the site, while the authorities continue to closely monitor the situation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar