Guinea landfill collapse kills 30 after heavy rains hit Conakry

Thirty people have died in Guinea's capital, Conakry, after a mound of rubbish at a landfill site collapsed onto nearby homes before dawn on Sunday.

Thirty people have died in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, after a mound of rubbish at a landfill site collapsed onto nearby homes before dawn on Sunday. The government confirmed the disaster followed a period of heavy rainfall.

Six others sustained serious injuries in the incident, which struck around 2 am local time in the Dar-es-Salam neighbourhood of the Bbessia district, on the outskirts of the capital.

In an official statement, the government said extensive material and human resources have been deployed to search for anyone still trapped beneath the debris, rescue survivors and recover the remains of victims.

Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah personally visited the site of the disaster. Photographers on the ground captured excavators working through the collapsed landfill as crowds of onlookers gathered nearby.

According to the government, arrangements have also been made to ensure medical treatment for the injured and broader support for those affected by the tragedy.

Before official figures were released, local neighbourhood leader Lancine Sylla had already voiced fears over a high death toll. He told AFP that 18 bodies had been recovered and taken to the morgue at that point.

Exiled opposition figure and former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo also reacted to the disaster, describing it as a tragedy that has left the country in deep shock. He pointed out on Facebook that the incident felt especially troubling given that the dump’s closure had already been scheduled for that very Sunday.

Diallo called on authorities to conduct a fully transparent investigation into the circumstances behind the collapse and to draw the necessary lessons from it.

In the days leading up to the disaster, the government had reportedly ordered residents near the site to evacuate over fears the landfill could give way. Despite those warnings, the collapse still resulted in significant loss of life.

Guinea is currently led by General Mamadi Doumbouya, who first came to power through a coup in 2021 before being formally elected president in December 2025. The disaster adds to a difficult year for the country as authorities now face mounting pressure to explain how the tragedy was allowed to happen despite prior warnings.