Several Sierra Leoneans are among those killed when a massive pile of rubbish collapsed at a landfill in Conakry, Guinea, on Sunday 23 August.
Guinea’s Health Minister Khaite Sall confirmed the deaths on Tuesday. She said the Guinean authorities have already contacted Sierra Leone’s embassy to help identify the victims and recover their bodies.
The latest official count stands at 34 people dead and 33 injured.
Heavy rain caused the rubbish mountain at the Dar-es-Salam dumpsite in Gbessia to give way in the early hours of the morning, burying homes and shacks nearby.
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is closely following the situation. The embassy in Guinea has sent a team, including the Deputy Ambassador, to the area to check on Sierra Leoneans and provide support where needed.
The Ministry promised to share more updates once the identities are fully confirmed. For information, people can call +232 76 632659 or +232 30 300009.
The dumpsite had already been flagged as dangerous. Guinean officials had planned to close it and move people living around it, but many were still there when the landslide happened.
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