Disasters & Incidents
Guinea landfill collapse death toll rises to 34
The death toll from a landfill collapse in Guinea's capital Conakry has risen to 34, with 33 people injured, six of them seriously, Health Minister Khaite Sall said Tuesday.
The collapse happened in the early hours of Sunday in the Dar es Salam neighbourhood, when a large mound of rubbish gave way after heavy rains and destroyed nearby homes. Authorities had previously reported 31 deaths and more than 20 injuries.
Sall said several Sierra Leoneans were among the victims. She said Guinea had contacted its foreign ministry, which contacted Sierra Leone's embassy for help identifying its nationals and recovering bodies.
The government planned to organise a mass burial for the victims. About 1,500 families were to be rehoused following the disaster.
Residents told AFP that multiple members of several families were killed. Residents had also said they had warned authorities about the danger before the collapse.
Just days before the disaster, the government had announced operations to evict residents and secure the area around the landfill because of landslide risks. The rainy season is particularly long and intense in the region.
Update
The official death toll rose from 31 to 34.
Authorities said 33 people were injured, six of them seriously.
Health Minister Khaite Sall said several Sierra Leoneans were among the victims and that Sierra Leone's embassy had been contacted about identification and recovery of bodies.
The government planned a mass burial of the victims.
About 1,500 families were to be rehoused after the disaster.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 August 2026 at 19:50:23 UTC.
Update
Guinea's disaster management agency said 358 affected people were sheltering at a school in Dixinn Centre.
The agency said 72 households were still directly at risk and people in dangerous areas were told to evacuate.
Authorities said housing, food, clothing and healthcare were being provided, with a mobile clinic and psychological and social support team planned.
The mayor of Gbessia said one resident's daughter and youngest child were alive at a nearby hospital after the resident had said her five children and husband had died.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 22:33:37 UTC.
Update
The reported death toll rose to 31.
More than 400 displaced people have been evacuated since Sunday evening and housed in a primary school in Dixinn.
Rescuers continued searching in torrential rain on Monday with excavators.
Residents gave further accounts of relatives killed and of a second slide burying would-be rescuers.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 15:27:32 UTC.
Update
The collapse injured 22 people, compared with the earlier report of six seriously injured people.
Residents said they had warned authorities about the danger before the collapse.
A resident said his younger brother was killed when the slide hit his home.
Another resident said a second slide buried people who had gone to help victims of the first slide.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 13:00:38 UTC.
Update
Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the collapse site.
Opposition figure Cellou Dalein Diallo said the dump's closure had been announced for Sunday, August 23, and called for the circumstances to be established transparently.
The government said resources had been deployed for searches, rescue, body recovery, medical care and assistance for affected people.
Source note: AFP news report published on 23 August 2026 at 17:54:00 UTC.
Update
The government said six other people were seriously injured.
The collapse happened at about 2:00 am in the Bbessia district's Dar-es-salam neighbourhood.
Excavators took part in a search-and-rescue operation at the collapsed landfill.
Source note: AFP news report published on 23 August 2026 at 17:21:22 UTC.
Update
Guinea's government said the landfill collapse killed 30 people.
Source note: AFP news report published on 23 August 2026 at 17:00:34 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The exact number and identities of Sierra Leonean victims were not specified.
It was not specified whether the planned mass burial or rehousing had begun.
Source
AFP news report published on .