Guinea Landfill Landslide Claims Lives of 17 Sierra Leoneans

Seventeen Sierra Leonean nationals have been confirmed dead following a landfill landslide at Dar-es-Salam in Gbessia, Conakry, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The Ministry provided the update on Friday, 28 August 2026, following a joint identification exercise conducted by Guinean authorities and officials of the Sierra Leone Embassy at designated mortuaries in Conakry.

The 17 confirmed Sierra Leonean victims comprise 14 men and three women.

The Government of Guinea has reported 34 fatalities in total from the disaster, while recovery and identification efforts remain ongoing.

The Sierra Leone Embassy continues to work closely with Guinean authorities to verify outstanding cases and establish the identities of other victims, as efforts continue to account for persons who may still be missing.

Meanwhile, the Embassy has confirmed 54 Sierra Leonean survivors affected by the incident. The survivors comprise 32 women, 17 men and five minors.

Immediate humanitarian assistance has been provided to the survivors, including food, clothing and other essential supplies. The Embassy and relevant authorities are also assessing their additional humanitarian and consular needs.

The latest update follows an earlier statement by the Sierra Leonean Government that it was working with Guinean authorities to establish the impact of the disaster on Sierra Leonean nationals.

The Government of Sierra Leone has expressed its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives and extended its solidarity to all those affected by the tragedy.

The Government also expressed appreciation to the Government of Guinea for its cooperation and assistance throughout the recovery, identification and humanitarian response efforts.

The Sierra Leone Embassy remains engaged with Guinean authorities and affected Sierra Leonean families as recovery and identification efforts continue.

Given the sensitive and evolving nature of the situation, the Ministry has urged the public to treat information concerning casualties and missing persons with caution and to rely only on officially verified information.