A landslide at a landfill in the capital of Guinea kills 30 people, officials say

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — A mountainous heap of refuse collapsed at the largest landfill in Guinea ‘s capital Conakry early Sunday killing 30 people, according to an updated toll released by the central government.

Authorities said heavy rains, which started at around 2 a.m. washed over the refuse at Dar Es Salam, triggering a landslide that buried nearby shacks. A search and rescue operation was underway to find survivors. Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed.

The site, an open-air waste dump which is the largest in the city, had been designated for closure on Sunday, according to Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion.

Locals living around the landfill had been given eviction notices, which forced many to vacate the area, but many were still around at the time of the disaster, according to authorities.

“We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere,” said Dienabou Touré, the minister of territorial administration and decentralization, at the scene.