Rescuers have detected signs of life in specific areas of a massive garbage avalanche that killed at least four workers and left more than 30 others missing at a landfill and waste facility in Cebu City in the central Philippines, officials said Saturday.
The collapse happened on Thursday at a waste management site in the village of Binaliw, where a huge mound of trash gave way and crashed into low-slung buildings inside the facility. Authorities said 12 workers have been rescued with injuries.
Dozens of responders—including police, firefighters, and disaster-response personnel—have been searching through twisted sheet metal, iron bars, and combustible heaps of garbage and debris in hazardous conditions.
The mayor says heavier equipment and tighter safety controls are being deployed
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said rescuers planned to intensify efforts after signs of life were detected. He said a more advanced 50-ton crane was being brought in under police escort to support careful excavation.
Archival said responder safety remains the priority because of dangers such as unstable debris and acetylene risks. He said officials adjusted the security perimeter and controlled access to the site due to those hazards.
Victims include an engineer and a female office worker
The four people confirmed dead—including an engineer and a female office worker—were employees of the landfill and waste management facility, which the mayor said has a staff of 110.
Officials initially reported two deaths and 36 missing on Friday. By Saturday, the confirmed death toll had risen to four. Archival did not provide an updated number of people missing in his Saturday statement.
NYPD Fatally Shoots Man After Barricade Standoff Inside Brooklyn Hospital Room
Survivor says collapse happened without warning
The cause of the collapse remains unclear. A survivor told The Associated Press that the garbage wall fell suddenly and without warning, despite fairly good weather at the time.
Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the landfill, said the garbage cascaded down and destroyed the administrative office where he was. He said he freed himself with bruises by crawling through the dark rubble.
“I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry, because I feared there would be more landslides,” Antigua said. “It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.”
City also faces questions about waste collection and landfill safety
It was not immediately clear how the accident would affect garbage disposal in Cebu, a busy port city of nearly a million people that serves as a regional hub for trade, commerce, and tourism. Archival said preparations are underway to address a potential garbage collection problem, without providing details.
Landfills and open dumpsites have long raised safety and health concerns across the Philippines, particularly near poor communities where residents often scavenge for salvageable items and leftover food. The Cebu City disaster recalled a July 2000 tragedy in suburban Quezon City near Manila, where a garbage mound collapsed and ignited a fire after days of stormy weather, killing more than 200 people and prompting a law requiring the closure of illegal dump sites and improved waste management practices.
Sources:
AP News / Mound of garbage collapses at Philippine landfill, killing 2 and leaving 36 others missing
