At least 30 people have died in a landslide at a rubbish tip in Guinea, West Africa.
The rubbish heap began to slide in the early hours of Sunday following heavy rain, burying several houses in a suburb of the capital, Conakry. According to the authorities, at least 22 other people were injured, six of them seriously.
Search and rescue operations were still under way. Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the scene of the disaster and expressed his condolences to those affected on behalf of the government.
According to local media reports, the government had planned in the preceding weeks to secure and clear the huge rubbish dump in the Dar-es-salam district, one of the poorest areas of Conakry. A landslide had already occurred there in 2017, claiming nine lives.
Despite its vast wealth of natural resources, Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world.
The West African nation, with a population of around 15 million, is one of the world's leading exporters of bauxite, the primary raw material for aluminium.
However, many people have inadequate access to healthcare, education, electricity and clean drinking water.