30 killed after landfill collapse in Guinea’s capital
At least 30 people were killed after a landfill collapsed following heavy rain in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, destroying several homes, according to government officials.
The collapse happened at about 2 a.m. on Sunday at the Dar-es-Salam landfill in Gbessia, a neighborhood of Conakry, the capital of the West African country. The government said the collapse followed heavy rain overnight.
The government said 30 people were confirmed dead in a preliminary count released at 4 p.m. Six people were seriously injured and 16 others suffered minor injuries. Rescue teams are searching for people who may still be trapped beneath the debris and recovering bodies from the site.
The Dar-es-Salam site, Conakry’s largest open-air waste dump, had been scheduled to close on Sunday, according to the Associated Press, citing Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion.
Authorities had issued eviction notices to people living around the landfill, forcing many families to leave, but some residents remained in the area when the collapse happened, AP reported.
The search and rescue operation involves emergency responders, medical teams, the Red Cross, security forces, local authorities and nearby residents.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
