An avalanche of garbage and debris buried workers in low-lying buildings at a landfill in the Philippines, killing one person, injuring about a dozen, and leaving 38 others missing, officials said Friday.
Rescuers recovered 13 people alive overnight and were continuing efforts to locate those still trapped after the massive pile of garbage, earth, and debris collapsed Thursday afternoon in Binaliw village, Cebu City, according to local authorities and police. Landfill workers were among those affected, though it is unclear if nearby residents were also caught in the slide, the Associated Press reported.
One of the survivors, a female landfill worker, died while being transported to a hospital, Brig. Gen. Roderick Maranan, regional police director, told the AP. The remaining rescued workers were hospitalized with injuries.
Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the landfill, described the collapse as sudden and unexpected on an otherwise clear day. “The garbage mountain just gave way,” he said, recounting how he escaped his office, which was destroyed, by crawling under debris, suffering bruises on his face and arms.
Search and rescue operations continued Friday for the 38 missing, Cebu Mayor Nestor Archival and the Office of Civil Defense said. Authorities released images showing rescuers using earth-moving equipment to scour the site, with twisted tin roofs and iron beams visible among the wreckage. Relatives of the missing watched anxiously, some weeping and urging rescuers to hurry. Archival said officials and landfill management, which employs 110 people, planned an emergency meeting Friday.
Landfills and open dumps have long posed safety and health risks in the Philippines, particularly near low-income communities where residents often scavenge for food and recyclables. In July 2000, a massive garbage collapse in a Quezon City dumpsite killed more than 200 people and left many missing after days of heavy rain, also sparking a fire. The disaster destroyed numerous shanties and led to a law mandating the closure of illegal dumpsites and improved waste management.