At least 30 people have died after a huge mound of rubbish collapsed on homes near a major waste site in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, the government said.
The collapse also injured 22 people, including six who suffered serious injuries, in the Dar-es-Salam area of the city, reports BBC.
The government said it deployed “significant” resources and personnel, including military personnel, to search for survivors after the incident occurred at about 02:00 local time following heavy overnight rain.
A woman told local media that all five of her children had died in the disaster, while authorities warned that the death toll could rise further.
Rescuers were later seen using excavators to search through a vast pile of scattered rubbish as local residents gathered near the site.
Guinea’s Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah visited the area to assess the situation and supervise the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Neighbourhood leader Lancine Sylla had earlier told AFP that he feared the disaster would cause a heavy loss of life.
“We have pulled out 18 bodies that were taken to the morgue,” he said.
