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At least 22 people were killed after a massive pile of rubbish collapsed at Guinea’s largest landfill in the capital Conakry early Sunday, according to a provisional toll released by the country’s civil protection service.

Heavy rains began around 3am and washed over the waste at the Dar Es Salam landfill, triggering a landslide that buried nearby makeshift shelters. Search and rescue teams were deployed to look for survivors.

The landfill had been scheduled for closure on Sunday, said Lt Col Baldé Mamadou Bailo, sanitation officer with the military engineering battalion.

Authorities had issued eviction notices to residents living near the landfill, prompting many families to leave the area. However, several people were still there when the collapse occurred.

“We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere,” Territorial Administration and Decentralisation Minister Dienabou Touré said at the site.