A landslide at a waste dump in Guinea's capital, Conakry, has killed 30 people after heavy rain caused a mound of rubbish to collapse onto nearby tents and shacks, the government said.
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Key facts
- A landslide at a waste dump in Conakry, Guinea, killed 30 people, according to the government.
- Heavy rains overnight caused the mound of rubbish to collapse onto nearby homes.
- The collapse engulfed tents and shacks close to the dump site.
- The incident came less than a week after the government announced plans to close and relocate the site.
A landslide at a waste dump in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, has killed 30 people after a mound of rubbish collapsed onto nearby homes, the government said on Sunday.
According to the Guardian, heavy rains overnight prompted the huge waste mound to collapse, engulfing nearby tents and shacks. Sky News reported that the collapse killed 30 people when the pile of rubbish came down onto homes close to the site.
The disaster occurred less than a week after the government announced plans to close the dump and relocate the waste, the Guardian reported. Officials had flagged the threat the site posed, particularly during the rainy season.
The rainy season causes landslides and fatal flash floods each year in crowded, underdeveloped cities across parts of West Africa, according to the Guardian. A government minister had recently promised to move the Conakry site.
The sources did not provide further details on rescue efforts, the number of people injured, or the total number of residents living near the dump at the time of the collapse.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the dangers faced by people living beside large waste sites in fast-growing West African cities, especially during heavy seasonal rains. It also raises questions about the pace of official plans to close and relocate a dump that authorities had already identified as a threat.
Frequently asked questions
How many people died in the Guinea landslide?
The government said 30 people were killed when the waste mound collapsed, according to Sky News and the Guardian.
Where did the landslide happen?
It happened at a large waste dump in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, in West Africa.
What caused the collapse?
Heavy rains overnight caused the mound of rubbish to collapse onto nearby tents and shacks, according to the Guardian.
Timeline
- Landslide at waste mound in Guinea capital kills 30, government says
The Guardian World: Dump site in Conakry, which minister had just promised to move, collapsed after heavy rain in west African state A landslide at a huge waste dump in Guinea’s capital has killed 30 people, the government said on Sunday, after heavy rains overnight prompted it to collapse, engulf
- Landslide kills 30 after mound of waste collapses at landfill site
Sky News: A landslide at a waste site in Guinea has killed 30 people after a mound of rubbish collapsed on to nearby homes.