At least 30 people have died after a huge mound of waste collapsed at the Dar Es Salam landfill, Conakry’s largest, in Guinea.
The tragedy unfolded early Sunday morning when heavy overnight rainfall triggered a landslide at the site.
Eyewitness and local resident Robert Kamano Sâa described the chaos as it happened, recalling how the first section of the dump gave way and people rushed in to help, calling out to check if anyone was trapped beneath. As rescuers climbed onto the refuse to search, a second section collapsed in three successive waves, burying those below.
Authorities say six people were seriously injured, and several homes in the surrounding area were destroyed in the collapse.
Emergency crews have since launched a search and rescue operation, sifting through the massive piles of waste in hopes of finding survivors.
The landfill had actually been scheduled to shut down on Sunday, with nearby residents already told to evacuate. But despite the closure order, many people were still living in the area when the disaster struck turning what had long been a waste management issue into a deadly tragedy.
Source : Africanews
