Landslide at Guinea Landfill Kills at Least 30 People

A landslide at a waste site in Guinea’s capital Conakry killed at least 30 people early on Sunday.

Heavy overnight rain caused a mound of rubbish in the Gabesia commune to collapse onto nearby tents and shacks. Several homes were destroyed. Rescue teams worked through the day and into Monday searching for survivors and recovering bodies.

Local officials said the waste site had grown over years as informal settlements expanded around it. Heavy seasonal rains frequently destabilise such piles. This collapse was one of the deadliest recent incidents linked to unmanaged urban waste in West Africa.

The government confirmed the death toll and said additional injured people had been taken to hospitals. International aid organisations offered assistance with search equipment and medical supplies.

Urban planning specialists have long warned that rapid population growth in Conakry combined with limited formal waste management creates recurring risks. Similar disasters have occurred in other African cities where informal dumps sit close to housing.

Authorities have not yet announced a full inquiry into the site’s management or any prior warnings about its stability. Families of the victims are pressing for clearer information on identification of the dead and support for the displaced.

The tragedy underscores the human cost of inadequate urban infrastructure in a region facing both climate pressure and fast demographic change.