MAPUTO – At least 17 people have been killed in Mozambique after a rubbish dump collapsed on nearby houses amid fears other may be buried under the mountain of rubbish. It’s reported that heavy rain triggered the collapse at the Hulene dump in the capital Maputo at around 03:00 on Monday, burying five homes.
A number of people may still be trapped under the rubbish, said spokesperson for the National Public Safety Service, Leonilde Pelembe.
“The information we received from local authorities is that the number of people living in those houses exceeds the number of deaths recorded, so work is still ongoing to see if there are any other details,” said Pelembe.
Authorities had asked residents to leave the illegally built houses in the impoverished area of the capital, prior to the collapse. Rubbish had reached the height of a three-story building at the dump.
People visit the dump in search of food and items to sell. Nearly 55 percent of Mozambique’s population live in poverty.
Maria Huo- a resident said: “It’s been more than ten years that the dump should have been closed because it’s full. But they still continue to pile trash on the trash. The consequence is this.
Maputo City Council will open a temporary refuge centre to accommodate survivors of the collapse, reported Radio Mozambique.
Photo Credit- Aljaeera
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