Deadly Landslide at Guinea Landfill Claims 30 Lives After Heavy Rains

A landslide at a waste site in Guinea early Sunday killed 30 people and injured several others after heavy rains caused a refuse mound to collapse, government officials reported.

The slide buried dozens of makeshift shelters and destroyed several homes as rescue teams and excavators combed through the debris in a search-and-rescue operation.

At least six other people sustained serious injuries.

“Significant material and human resources have been deployed to search for anyone still buried, to rescue victims and to recover the bodies,” a government statement said.

“The necessary measures were taken to ensure medical care for the wounded and to provide assistance to those affected by the tragedy,” the statement added.

Heavy rain began falling early Sunday morning, washing over the refuse at Dar Es Salam—Conakry’s largest open‑air waste dump—located on the outskirts of the capital.

The dump had recently been announced for closure, with the shutdown scheduled for the same Sunday as the landslide.

Days before the incident, residents living near the landfill received eviction orders from the government, prompted by fears of a collapse. Many were forced to leave, but local authorities said numerous others remained in the area when the disaster struck.

“We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere,” said Dienabou Touré, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, at the scene.

A resident of the Dar Es Salam neighbourhood told AFP how local residents had tried to avert a tragedy.

“We organised sit‑ins, invited officials from the relevant departments, but they didn’t take it seriously. That’s why today, with this landslide, I blame the State for not taking the necessary measures to close the dump, despite having promised to do so a year ago,” explained activist Abou Hamza.

Guinea is mineral‑rich, holding the world’s largest bauxite deposits—the primary source of aluminium—as well as iron ore, gold, diamonds and other minerals.

Nevertheless, 43.7 % of the population lives below the national poverty line, according to the World Bank, which equates to about 3.7 million of the country’s 15.1 million people surviving on less than US $4.20 (€3.60) per day.

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