According to comprehensive foreign media, a garbage dump in Cebu City, central Philippines, experienced a garbage mountain collapse around 4 p.m. on the 8th. On-site, about 300 rescuers from various government agencies and civil groups were present, with excavators, ambulances, and fire trucks dispatched.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival posted on Facebook on the 8th: "All rescue units are still fully engaged in search, rescue, and body retrieval operations to locate the remaining missing individuals." It is understood that 12 landfill workers have been rescued and sent for medical treatment and are currently not in serious condition. Unfortunately, a 22-year-old woman has been confirmed dead in the incident, and 38 people remain missing, almost all of whom are landfill staff.
Local Councilor: Concerns Over Possible Mismanagement
According to local media, some officials stated that the incident was caused by several consecutive days of rainfall, resulting in softened soil in the area, which triggered the collapse of the garbage mountain and recycling facility. However, Cebu City councilor Joel Garganera pointed out that this may have been a sudden incident but could also be related to improper waste management practices. He told local media that the operator of the landfill had "cut into the garbage mountain" and excavated soil beneath the garbage, then piled waste to form another garbage mountain. He said, "This is no longer a sanitary landfill, but an open dump site."
The report added that a local resident, Junel Asila, told the media that many families arrived at the site early on the 8th to look for their relatives. He also added that before the incident, landfill workers shouted to operators, warning them of the risk of a landslide, but the area's machine noise was so loud that many did not hear the warnings.
The report notes that the landfill is located in Binli-ao village and covers nearly 10 hectares.