At least four people were killed and dozens remain missing after a massive garbage collapse at a landfill in Cebu City, with rescue operations continuing amid dangerous conditions.
Rescue teams in the central Philippines continued digging through unstable rubble on Saturday after a massive garbage collapse at a landfill in Cebu City buried dozens of workers. The incident occurred at the privately operated Binaliw Landfill, where at least four people were confirmed dead and many others remained unaccounted for.
About 50 sanitation workers were buried when a mountain of refuse collapsed on Thursday. A city councillor estimated the garbage fell from a height of about 20 storeys. The landfill services Cebu City and surrounding communities.
Rescuers face danger of further collapse
Search operations were continuing despite the risk of more garbage shifting. Cebu rescuer Jo Reyes said the unstable landfill forced teams to pause work at times.
“Operations are ongoing as of the moment. It is continuous. (But) from time to time, the landfill is moving, and that will temporarily stop the operation,” she told AFP.
“We have to stop for a while for the safety of our rescuers.”
Death toll rises, dozens still missing
Information from the site emerged slowly due to poor signal at the dumpsite. Cebu City council member Joel Garganera said that as of 10:00 am (0200 GMT), four people had died and 34 remained missing.
“The four casualties were inside the facility when it happened… They have these staff houses inside where most people who were buried stayed,” he said.
Rescue efforts were being hampered by shifting garbage and heavy steel debris.
“It’s very difficult on the part of the rescuers, because there are really heavy (pieces of steel), and every now and then, the garbage is moving because of the weight from above,” Garganera said.
“We are hoping against hope here and praying for miracles.”
Families wait as rescue continues
Authorities said they were proceeding cautiously, with families of the missing waiting near the site.
“We cannot just jump to the retrieval (of bodies), because there are a lot of family members who are within the property waiting for any positive result,” Garganera said.
At least 12 employees have so far been pulled alive from the garbage and hospitalised.
Garganera described the height of the garbage pile as “alarming” and warned that rain increased the risk of collapse.
“Every now and then when it rains, there are landslides happening around the city of Cebu … how much more (dangerous is that) for a landfill or a mountain that is made of garbage?” he said.
“The garbage is like a sponge, they really absorb water.”
Sole waste facility for the region
The disaster has disrupted waste management in Cebu, as the landfill is the only service provider for the city and nearby areas. According to its operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, the facility processes 1,000 tons of municipal solid waste daily. Calls and emails to the company remained unanswered.
Rita Cogay, a compactor operator at the site, said she survived by chance. She had stepped out to get water moments before the structure she was in collapsed.
“I thought a helicopter had crashed. But when I turned, it was the garbage and the building coming down,” the 49-year-old told AFP.
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