A massive waste heap at the Dar Es Salam landfill in Conakry, Guinea, collapsed Sunday, killing at least 30 people [1].
The disaster highlights the extreme vulnerability of urban poor who live on or near waste sites, where unstable terrain and poor infrastructure increase the risk of mass casualties during weather events.
The collapse occurred around 2 a.m. [4] on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026 [5]. Rubbish from the landfill slid onto nearby homes, tents, and shacks in the Gbessia commune. While the civil protection service reported a provisional death toll of 22 [2], government sources and other media outlets said that at least 30 people died [1].
Rescue workers searched through the debris for survivors throughout the day. In addition to the fatalities, 22 people were reported injured [3]. The human toll was illustrated by a local woman who said, "All five of my children have died."
Heavy overnight rain is cited as the primary trigger for the landslide [6]. However, some reports indicate that a heavy train may have contributed to the collapse, and others mention recent eviction orders in the area [6, 7].
The Dar Es Salam site is a primary waste destination for the capital city. Residents in the surrounding area often live in precarious housing, making them susceptible to the movement of the waste heaps. The incident occurred as rescuers continued to dig through the rubbish to locate missing persons.
“"All five of my children have died."”
This tragedy underscores the systemic failure of waste management and urban planning in Conakry. The proximity of residential shacks to unstable waste heaps creates a permanent hazard for the city's most marginalized populations, transforming environmental mismanagement into a lethal public health and safety crisis during the rainy season.
