A massive landslide at a rubbish dump in Guinea’s capital Conakry has killed at least 30 people, the government confirmed on Sunday, after heavy rains triggered the collapse of a mountainous heap of refuse that buried several nearby homes.
The disaster struck at around 2am local time in the Gbessia commune, where the country’s largest landfill is located. Rescue workers using excavators combed through scattered waste as residents gathered near the site, according to AP News.
Rescue Operations Under Way
The death toll rose from an initial count of 22 to 30 as emergency crews pulled more bodies from beneath the debris, according to Reuters. Six people were reported injured. Several families living on the margins of the landfill site were trapped when the waste pile gave way under the force of overnight downpours.
Guinea’s government issued a statement confirming the toll and indicating that search-and-rescue operations were continuing. No official comment was immediately available on the structural condition of the landfill or whether warning systems were in place.
A Pattern of Urban Waste Crises
The disaster echoes similar tragedies across West Africa, where rapid urbanisation has outpaced the development of formal waste management infrastructure. Informal settlements often grow around landfills, leaving residents exposed to collapses during rainy seasons.
Conakry, a city of more than two million people, generates vast quantities of refuse daily with limited recycling or diversion capacity. Community organisations and environmental groups have repeatedly warned that the Gbessia site poses acute risks to surrounding neighbourhoods, particularly during the wet season that typically runs from June through October.
The collapse raises fresh questions about urban planning and disaster preparedness in Guinea, a mineral-rich nation that has struggled with political instability and underinvestment in public infrastructure for years.
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