Guinea Buries 36 Killed in Conakry Landfill Collapse
GUINEA · SOCIETY
Key Facts
—What happened: A rubbish dump collapsed onto homes in Conakry overnight on 22-23 August, killing 36 people.
—How big it is: The dead included 19 Guineans and 17 Sierra Leoneans, buried on 4 September.
—The catch: The 17 Sierra Leonean deaths were announced by Freetown on 31 August, not at the funeral.
—Who it hits: Waste-pickers and families living beside the dump in Gbessia commune lost homes and loved ones.
—What comes next: Guinea plans to rehouse about 1,500 people and demolish at-risk homes near the site.
—The number that matters: 33 people were injured in the collapse, and 542 survivors were sheltered at a school by late August.
Guinea buried 36 people on Friday, twelve days after the Conakry landfill collapse. Seventeen of the dead were Sierra Leonean, a figure Freetown had already confirmed.
A mass funeral in Conakry
Guinea buried 36 people on Friday 4 September at the Cimetière des Martyrs de Bambéto, in the Ratoma area of Conakry. The ceremony followed prayers at the Bambéto mosque.
Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah led the Guinean delegation. The Governor of Conakry spoke on behalf of the state.
Lanceï Touré, Guinea’s disaster agency chief, gave the final toll at the funeral. He said 36 died: 17 Sierra Leoneans and 19 Guineans.
The toll rose over twelve days
The death count climbed slowly as rescue teams dug through the waste.
It stood at 30 on the day of the collapse and 34 by 26 August. It was 35 on the eve of the burial.
The 36th victim died in hospital before the ceremony, per ANGUCH’s director-general, Lanceï Touré. He said two died that week: a girl Monday, another Thursday at Donka.
The collapse happened in the early hours, with reports giving both 2am and 3am. The exact time has not been confirmed.
Sierra Leone had already confirmed its dead
Sierra Leone’s foreign ministry announced on 31 August that 17 of its nationals were among the dead. That was four days before the funeral, after a joint identification effort with Guinea.
President Julius Maada Bio sent condolences, calling the disaster a profound tragedy. Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray led the Sierra Leonean delegation to the burial.
Sierra Leone also said it had assisted 54 surviving nationals — 32 women, 17 men and five children. The government asked the public not to circulate victims’ names or photographs.
Why people lived beside the dump
The Dar-es-Salam site is an open dump in Gbessia commune that took Conakry’s waste for years without proper engineering. Homes and shacks stood against it, and waste-picking was a common trade there.
Guinea and Sierra Leone are both members of ECOWAS, the West African bloc that allows free movement. Many Sierra Leoneans live and work in Conakry legally.
The dump had collapsed before, on 22 August 2017, killing nine people. That earlier disaster did not lead to the site being closed or moved.
The government’s response
Guinea’s post-election government pledged to relocate dump-area residents. Minister Camara Djénabou Touré cited 1,500 people for rehousing.
By late August, 542 survivors were sheltered at the Dixinn Centre 1 primary school. Authorities also flagged 72 households as being at critical risk and began demolishing homes closest to the waste.
Residents say compensation is unclear. Relocation plans are unknown.
Survivor Aboubacar Camara told the AP: “We are completely disillusioned… We don’t know what to do.
A political moment for Guinea
The funeral was a state event, with ministers, diplomats and the prime minister attending. It came seven months after Mamadi Doumbouya was inaugurated as elected president on 17 January 2026.
The ceremony also put Guinea’s own count on the record. Lanceï Touré’s figure of 36 dead, with 17 Sierra Leoneans, now stands as the official toll.
What happens to the dump
The government says it will clear the site and move the waste elsewhere. New resettlement sites are being identified across Conakry’s communes.
Demolition of at-risk homes was already under way by 26 August, according to Guinean media. Bulldozers moved in to remove structures that sat on the edge of the dump.
Authorities met at the site on 20 August, three days before the collapse, to discuss clearing it. The government said preparatory work would start in September, but nothing had been fenced or removed when the waste gave way.
The challenge is finding land in a crowded coastal capital. Conakry is a narrow peninsula, and space for both housing and waste is limited.
Regional disasters with a similar pattern
Dump collapses have killed people elsewhere in Africa and Asia. In Addis Ababa in 2017, 113 died; in Colombo, 32; in Maputo in 2018, 16.
Those disasters also involved unengineered dumps where people lived and worked. The engineering fix is known, but it is rarely funded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people died in the Conakry landfill collapse?
Thirty-six people died, according to Guinea’s emergency agency ANGUCH. The toll rose from 30 on the day to 36 by the time of the funeral.
How many of the dead were Sierra Leonean?
Seventeen of the 36 dead were Sierra Leonean nationals. Sierra Leone’s foreign ministry confirmed this on 31 August, before the funeral.
When did the collapse happen?
The dump gave way overnight between 22 and 23 August 2026. Reports give the time as around 2am or 3am, after heavy rain.
What has Sierra Leone done for its citizens?
Sierra Leone sent Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray to the burial and assisted 54 surviving nationals. President Julius Maada Bio offered condolences.
What is Guinea doing for survivors?
Guinea has sheltered 542 people at a school and plans to rehouse about 1,500. Demolition of at-risk homes is under way, but residents want more compensation.
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