Conakry: At least eight people died and others were injured in Guinea on Tuesday in a mudslide at a rubbish landfill site on the outskirts of the capital, Conakry, amid torrential rains, police and government officials said.
The disaster, which occurred in the Dar Es Salam neighbourhood, follows major landslides in Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo that have left hundreds dead or missing since early last week.
"Currently rescue operations are under way," the government said in a statement. "On this sad occasion, the government addresses its deepest condolences to the victims` families."
The government initially said five people were killed with around 10 others injured.
However a senior police source later said eight had died, and a second official said the government was preparing to raise its death toll after three additional bodies were recovered.
The threat of deadly landslides is growing in west and central Africa as rainfall, deforestation and urban populations rise, experts say.