Guinea is in mourning after a tragic landslide occurred on the night of Wednesday, August 20 to Thursday, August 21 in Manéah, Coyah Prefecture. This tragedy, which occurred around 8 p.m. following heavy rains, claimed the lives of at least 15 people, including several members of the same family.

The disaster occurred in a densely populated residential area. A total of 17 buildings were submerged under tons of earth and debris, trapping many families in their sleep. Recent torrential rains, which weakened the area's soil, are being blamed as the trigger for the landslide.

A heavy human toll

Rescue teams were mobilized from the early hours. After several hours of searching, 15 lifeless bodies were extracted from the rubble, the last two found shortly before 1:10 p.m. Injured people were also identified, some in critical condition, and were transferred to local medical facilities.

The Prime Minister on the ground

Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the scene to assess the extent of the damage and offer the government's support. "On behalf of the President of the Republic and the entire government, I offer my sincere condolences to all the bereaved families," he said.

He praised the rapid response of emergency services, while stressing that the death toll could have been much more dramatic without certain preventive measures. "It's fortunate that we insisted that the landfill behind the site be cleared. Otherwise, today we could have faced an even more dramatic disaster," he said.

“A collective responsibility”

The head of government did not mince words about the root causes of this tragedy. He denounced the uncontrolled construction in high-risk areas, calling for collective awareness: "Building where water flows, in old riverbeds or at the foot of mountains, is putting your family and yourself in danger."

He promised strict measures to regulate urbanization and called for a new land-use policy: "Public authorities will now determine the buildable areas throughout the country. A catastrophe must be anticipated."

Survivor's testimony: "I lost everything."

Among the survivors, Ibrahima Sory Camara, a young security guard from Coyah, gave a moving account: "I lost six members of my family in this landslide, including my father, my mother and my four brothers and sisters," he confided, his eyes reddened by tears.

He recounts how their three-story house, which also housed tenants, collapsed in a matter of moments. Since then, he has participated in the searches, with a heavy heart, hoping to find at least the bodies of his loved ones. But hope fades as the hours pass.

Another tragedy, a warning signal

This landslide serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of poorly planned urban areas, particularly in the face of increasingly extreme climate hazards. It also highlights the urgent need for concerted government action to protect populations and prevent further tragedies.