Guinea officials said the death toll from the Conakry landfill collapse rose to 30.
Why it matters: The collapse hit Conakry's largest dumpsite and exposed how fragile the city's waste and drainage systems are after heavy rains. It also triggered an immediate relocation response for families living near the landfill.
- The collapse happened Sunday at Dar Es Salam in Conakry after heavy overnight rains.
- Reuters said officials put the death toll at 30, while AP first reported at least 22 dead.
- Guinea Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization Dienabou Touré said families remaining near the dump would be relocated.
- World Bank analysis says Conakry's waste system has deteriorated and its main dumpsite had already exceeded capacity.
Guinea officials said Sunday that 30 people died when part of the Dar Es Salam landfill collapsed in Conakry after heavy overnight rains, according to Reuters. The Associated Press first reported at least 22 deaths.
The site is Conakry's largest landfill and sits in the Gbessia commune. Rescue crews were still searching the area after the collapse, and officials said the government would move families living near the dump. Guinea Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization Dienabou Touré said remaining families would be relocated elsewhere, according to The Independent.
The immediate impact goes beyond the fatalities: the collapse disrupted a densely populated urban area already under pressure from poor waste handling and flooding. A World Bank review said Conakry's solid-waste system had deteriorated over time, with low collection rates, illegal dumping and a main dumpsite that had already gone beyond capacity.
By the numbers
- 30 - deaths officials said were caused by the landfill collapse.
- 22 - deaths AP reported before the toll rose.
- Heavy overnight rains - the weather that preceded the collapse.
What's next: Authorities are continuing search efforts and planning to relocate families living near the landfill.