Tragic landslide: Dozens buried under collapsed garbage mountain

At least 31 people were killed and 22 injured when a massive pile of garbage collapsed onto homes in the Dar es-Salam neighborhood of Conakry, the capital of Guinea. The disaster occurred following heavy rains, just hours before the site's planned closure. Rescue teams are working to locate survivors under tons of waste.

At least 31 people were killed and 22 others injured, six of them seriously, after a massive garbage pile collapsed onto homes in the Dar es-Salam neighborhood of Conakry, the capital of Guinea. The disaster occurred last night around 2:00 AM local time, following heavy rains that created hazardous conditions at the open waste site. The immense weight of the wet waste caused the collapse of a three-story building beneath it, burying nearby homes and shacks. Rescue forces, including units of the national army, have been deployed to the scene and are using excavators to locate survivors. Guinea's Prime Minister, Mamadou Oury Bah, arrived at the scene. Health Minister, Khaita Sall, visited the wounded and promised free medical care. Neighborhood leader Lanciné Sylla expressed concern that the death toll could be higher. A local resident said her five children perished in the disaster. The incident occurred on the day the site was scheduled to close permanently (Sunday, August 23), following repeated warnings about dangerous conditions. Previous evacuation orders did not prevent the disaster, and many families remained in place. Exiled opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo called it a "foreseeable tragedy." A similar disaster occurred at the same site in 2017.