Equatorial Guinea: Survivors of Guinea's Deadly Landfill Collapse Say Authorities Ignored Warnings

What the report says

Rescuers in Guinea were still searching on Monday for victims of a landfill collapse in the Conakry neighborhood of Dar es Salam, two days after the disaster struck during heavy rain, according to RFI as republished by AllAfrica. The report said at least 31 people were killed, more than 20 were injured, and several homes were destroyed when part of the rubbish dump gave way in the early hours of Sunday.

Authorities said excavators were being used at the site while security cordoned off the area. The National Agency for Humanitarian Emergency and Disaster Management said around 358 affected people were being sheltered at a school in Dixinn Centre, and that some 72 households were still considered directly at risk. It added that housing, food, clothing and healthcare were being provided, with mobile medical and psychosocial support planned.

Residents told the outlet they had warned officials about the danger before the collapse and felt those concerns were ignored. A local youth leader said community members had tried to organize meetings with authorities, while the government had previously announced plans to clear the area because of landslide risks and pollution. The landfill has a history of instability and has long been a public health concern, with a new replacement site project launched in 2022, according to the report.