CONAKRY, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 people were killed and several others injured in a landslide at a rubbish dump in Dar-es-Salam on the outskirts of Conakry, the Guinean capital, according to a provisional toll released by the country's civil protection service.
The incident occurred at around 3:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Sunday following heavy rains that lashed Conakry.
A large mass of rubbish collapsed onto part of the surrounding area, burying several people and causing significant property damage.
Emergency and security services have been mobilized at the site, where search, rescue and clearing operations are continuing to look for possible additional victims.
Officials from the Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Territorial Development and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, accompanied by local authorities, visited the site to assess the extent of the damage and oversee rescue operations.
The landslide was reportedly caused by the collapse of a large mass of household rubbish that had accumulated at the site over several years following heavy rains.
According to local media reports, the authorities had planned to close the Dar-es-Salam rubbish dump on Sunday, the same day the disaster occurred.
