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At least 30 people have been killed after a landslide struck a rubbish landfill in Guinea's capital, Conakry.
Torrential rain overnight triggered the collapse of a large mound of waste, which tore through nearby shacks and tents, the African country's Government confirmed.
The tragedy occurred less than a week after Guinean authorities announced the site would be closed and relocated due to safety concerns.
Guinea's Minister of Territorial Administration, Djenab Toure, announced on Thursday that the Government was closing the landfill because it was unsafe and said the waste would be relocated outside Conakry.
In underdeveloped cities across West Africa, landfill sites can become more dangerous during the rainy season as the risk of flash floods increases.
According to a statement from the Guinean Government, the deadly landslide took place at around 2am in the Gbessia commune of Conakry.
Authorities said the death toll now stands at 30, while 22 people were injured, including six believed to be in a serious condition.
Conakry resident Cire Diallo told reporters at the scene that five of her children had died in the landslide.
Torrential rain overnight triggered the collapse of a large mound of waste, which tore through nearby shacks and tents
|REUTERS
"I have lost all my children. All I can do is put my trust in God," she said.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the landfill to assess the scale of the damage and oversee the response by emergency workers.
The Guinean Government advised people in the area to "remain calm, show solidarity, and strictly follow the instructions of rescue services and the competent authorities".
Guinea holds the world's largest bauxite reserves and the richest untapped iron ore deposit at Simandou in the southern highlands of the country.
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Authorities said the death toll now stands at 30, while 22 people were injured
|REUTERS
A large-scale mining project was launched at the site in November.
Guinea is plagued by some of the world's worst levels of poverty, with 3.7 million of its 15.1 million people living on less than $4.20 (£3.08) per day, according to a World Bank report published earlier this year.
Almost a decade ago, 113 people were killed after a landfill collapsed in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
A mountain of rubbish buried makeshift mud-and-stick homes at the Koshe landfill on the outskirts of the capital.
The Guinean Government advised people in the area to 'remain calm, show solidarity, and strictly follow the instructions'
|REUTERS
The site was frequently used by waste-pickers who salvaged items to make a living, while others sought inexpensive housing nearby.
The landfill had served as a dumping ground for more than 50 years before the tragedy.
In 2024, 21 people were killed after heavy rain triggered a landslide at a dump in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
The 36-acre (14-hectare) Kiteezi landfill is the only site serving the whole of Kampala, a city home to an estimated four million people.