Conakry: At least four people were killed and several others injured early Tuesday after a building under construction collapsed in the Guinean capital of Conakry, authorities said.
According to Guinea's Minister of Urban Planning, Housing and Territorial Development Mohamed Lamine Sy Savane, who was quoted by local media, the five-story building was under construction in the Hafia neighborhood of Dixinn commune.
It collapsed at around 2 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) onto the houses nearby. Several people were trapped under the rubble.
Witnesses interviewed at the scene said several families were affected. Three members of the same family were injured and hospitalized, while several other relatives were killed in the accident.
According to the minister, construction of the building had been suspended by the Guinean authorities for failing to comply with construction standards applicable in the communes of Conakry.
Search and rescue operations were still underway Tuesday to locate possible survivors. The exact circumstances of the collapse and the final death toll remain to be determined.
