Equatorial Guinea: Survivors of Guinea's Deadly Landfill Collapse Say Authorities Ignored Warnings
[RFI] Two days after a deadly landfill collapse in Guinea, rescuers are using giant excavators to search for victims. Anger is rising among residents, who say they had warned authorities that the rubbish dump was precarious.
In Guinea, survivors of a deadly landfill collapse are accusing authorities of ignoring warnings. On Sunday morning, heavy rain triggered the collapse in Conakry's Dar es Salam neighbourhood, resulting in at least 31 deaths and over 20 injuries. The area, which includes around 358 affected residents, was cordoned off by security forces.
The National Agency for Humanitarian Emergency and Disaster Management (ANGUCH) reported that 72 households remain at risk, with residents ordered to evacuate. Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the site on Sunday, pledging medical care and assistance for those impacted. Local youth leader Abou Hamza stated that residents had previously alerted authorities to the dangerous conditions, but their pleas were dismissed.
The government had previously planned evacuations and security measures, citing the risk of landslides, especially during the rainy season. The landfill has been a source of pollution and regularly suffers fires due to the lack of proper waste disposal methods. Guinea's opposition leader, Cellou Dalein Diallo, described the collapse as a tragedy that plunges the nation into dismay, emphasizing the need to protect the most vulnerable populations.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
