Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Prior to the tragedy, the government had issued eviction orders over fear of a looming collapse.
Heavy rain early on Sunday morning triggered a deadly landslide at Conakry’s largest waste dump in Guinea.
The downpour washed over the Dar Es Salam site, sending a massive mound of garbage collapsing onto nearby homes and shacks.
At least 30 people died in the catastrophe, while several others suffered injuries. Emergency teams rushed to the site to dig through debris for survivors.
According to official statements, cited by Reuters and Euronews, government crews deployed quickly to assist. A government statement confirmed that “Significant material and human resources have been deployed to search for any people who may still be buried, to rescue the victims and to recover the bodies,” while officials promised “assistance for those affected by the tragedy.”
Eyewitnesses described a terrifying chain reaction that caught rescuers off guard. A local resident explained to Euronews, “The first section gave way. People tried to come to the rescue, shouting, ‘Is there anyone down there? Is there anyone down there?’ They came running and climbed onto the refuse to see if anyone was there,” followed moments later by another collapse. “That was when the second section collapsed in three successive stages, cascading down. And that is what poured onto the people”.
Warnings ignored
The government had scheduled the dump’s closure for that same Sunday. Eviction orders were issued days earlier over collapse fears, forcing many families to leave, though others remained.
At the scene, minister of territorial administration and decentralisation, Dienabou Touré, addressed remaining residents: “We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere.”
Local residents expressed deep anger over official delays.
Speaking to press agency AFP, activist Abou Hamza said, “We organised sit-ins, we invited the officials from the relevant departments, but they didn’t take it seriously. So that’s why today, with this landslide, I blame the State, because it didn’t take the necessary measures to have the dump closed. And yet they had promised us that, it’s been a year now.”
Despite rich deposits of bauxite and gold, poverty remains widespread across Guinea. World Bank data shows that nearly 44 percent of citizens live below the national poverty line, leaving millions exposed to urban hazards.
