Seventeen Sierra Leonean nationals have been confirmed dead after a devastating landfill landslide struck the Dar-es-Salaam dumpsite in Gbessia, Conakry, Guinea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced the update on Friday, 28 August 2026, following a joint identification exercise by Guinean authorities and Sierra Leone Embassy officials at mortuaries in the Guinean capital.
The confirmed Sierra Leonean victims are 14 men and three women. Guinea has reported a total of 34 fatalities from the disaster so far, with recovery and identification work still ongoing.
The Sierra Leone Embassy continues working closely with Guinean counterparts to verify any remaining cases and identify other victims, while efforts persist to account for people who may still be missing.
The Embassy has also confirmed 54 Sierra Leonean survivors: 32 women, 17 men and five minors. Immediate humanitarian support, including food, clothing and other essentials, has already been provided. Officials are assessing further humanitarian and consular needs.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 23 August 2026, when heavy overnight rains caused a massive mound of refuse at Conakry’s largest open-air landfill to collapse, burying nearby shacks and informal dwellings in the Gbessia commune. Rescue teams used excavators to search through the debris.
The site had been earmarked for closure that same day after authorities issued eviction notices due to safety risks, particularly during the rainy season; similar collapses have occurred there before, including one in 2017 that claimed lives.
This latest confirmation follows an earlier statement from the Government of Sierra Leone that it was coordinating with Guinean authorities to determine the full impact on its nationals.
The Government has expressed its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died and extended solidarity to all affected by the tragedy. It also thanked the Government of Guinea for its cooperation and assistance in recovery, identification and humanitarian efforts.
The Sierra Leone Embassy remains actively engaged with Guinean authorities and affected families as work continues. Given the sensitive and still-evolving situation, the Ministry urges the public to treat reports about casualties and missing persons with caution and to rely only on officially verified information.
