Conakry landfill collapse kills 36 people

A mass funeral was held in Conakry on September 4 to bury 36 victims of the Dar-es-Salam landfill collapse, which occurred in the early hours of August 22-23. The deceased included 19 Guineans and 17 Sierra Leoneans. The funeral was attended by a delegation led by Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah.

The collapse, which took place in the Gbessia commune, caused significant destruction to homes belonging to waste-pickers and nearby families. Beyond the fatalities, 33 people were injured, and hundreds of survivors required emergency shelter. In response, Guinean authorities plan to demolish at-risk homes near the site and rehouse approximately 1,500 people.

The disaster has triggered a waste management crisis in Conakry following the closure of the Dar-es-Salam site. Local municipalities have been forced to rely on small private companies to transport refuse over 40 kilometers to Baritodé. Critics note that the crisis follows a failure to implement a 2021 waste management master plan, which had envisioned a new technical landfill site in Baritodé to be operational by 2025.