Additional Coverage:
- Mound of garbage collapses at Philippine landfill, burying and trapping 38 people and killing 1 (nbcnews.com)
Landfill Collapse in Philippines Claims One Life, Dozens Missing
Cebu City, Philippines – A devastating collapse at a waste segregation facility in Binaliw, Cebu City, has resulted in one fatality, a dozen injuries, and left 38 individuals missing as a massive avalanche of garbage and debris engulfed workers and structures on Thursday afternoon.
Emergency responders have been working tirelessly overnight, successfully rescuing 13 people who were trapped. However, the search continues for the remaining missing individuals caught in the unexpected landslide of refuse, earth, and other materials. The incident primarily affected landfill workers, though authorities are still investigating if any nearby residents were also impacted.
Regional police director Brig. Gen.
Roderick Maranan confirmed that one of the rescued individuals, a female landfill worker, tragically succumbed to her injuries en route to the hospital. The remaining survivors are receiving medical attention for various injuries.
Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the facility, recounted the harrowing experience. He described the sudden and unforeseen collapse of the “mountain of garbage” despite clear weather conditions.
Antigua managed to crawl through the rubble and debris of his destroyed office, emerging with bruises to his face and arms. “I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry because I feared there will be more landslides,” Antigua told The Associated Press.
“It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.”
Cebu Mayor Nestor Archival and the Office of Civil Defense affirmed that search and rescue operations are ongoing for the 38 missing persons. Mayor Archival released a statement via Facebook, assuring the public that “All response teams remain fully engaged in search and retrieval efforts to locate the remaining missing persons with strict adherence to safety protocols.” He further emphasized the city government’s commitment to “ensure safety, transparency, accountability and compassionate assistance as operations continue.”
Images from the scene depict rescue teams utilizing earth-moving equipment to navigate the devastation, with twisted tin roofs and iron beams marking the location of the collapsed buildings. Relatives of the missing waited in anguish, with one woman openly weeping and pleading for an accelerated search.
An emergency meeting is scheduled for Friday involving authorities and officials from the waste management facility, which employs 110 people. Brig.
Gen. Maranan indicated that one of the structures hit was a warehouse where workers sorted recyclable waste.
The extent of damage to nearby residential areas is still being assessed.
This tragic event highlights ongoing concerns regarding safety and health at landfills and open dumpsites across the Philippines, particularly in areas adjacent to impoverished communities where scavenging for resources is common. A similar disaster in July 2000 at a Quezon City dumpsite, triggered by stormy weather, resulted in over 200 fatalities and prompted new legislation aimed at closing illegal dumpsites and improving waste management practices.