Rescuers in the Philippines say they have detected signs of life after a deadly landfill collapse in Cebu City that killed at least four workers and left more than 30 others missing. Officials said they plan to intensify the search in hazardous conditions at a waste management facility in the village of Binaliw.
The collapse happened on Thursday, and authorities said 12 workers have been pulled out alive with injuries. The death toll rose to four, according to Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, who also warned that unstable debris and other dangers are slowing the operation.
Signs of life reported
Mayor Archival said authorities confirmed “detected signs of life” in specific areas, leading rescuers to continue careful excavation. He said a more advanced 50-ton crane was being sent to the site with a police escort to help the effort.
Search teams have been working against time in what officials described as dangerous conditions, with twisted roofing materials, iron bars, and heaps of garbage and debris in the collapse zone. Responders include police, firefighters, and disaster-response personnel, according to authorities.
Rescuers face serious hazards
Archival said the safety of responders remains a top concern because of hazards such as unstable debris and acetylene risks. He said authorities adjusted the security perimeter and are controlling access to keep workers safer during the search.
Officials have not said what caused the garbage mound to collapse. A survivor told the Associated Press that the collapse happened instantly and without warning, and he said the weather was fairly good at the time.
Victims and missing workers
Authorities said the four people confirmed dead were employees of the landfill and waste management facility, which has a staff of 110. The dead included an engineer and a female office worker, according to the mayor and police.
Archival said an initial list on Friday reported two dead and 36 missing, and the death toll increased to four on Saturday. He did not provide an updated number of people missing in his Saturday statement.
Survivor describes escape
One survivor, 31-year-old office worker Jaylord Antigua, said a wall of garbage cascaded down and destroyed the administrative office where he was. He said he got out with bruises on his face and arms by crawling through darkness in the rubble and debris, moving toward a light he could see.
Antigua said he rushed because he feared more landslides and described the experience as traumatic, adding that he felt he had been given a “second life.” Authorities have not said how many people were inside the affected buildings when the collapse happened.
Concerns over garbage collection
Officials said it is unclear how the accident could affect garbage disposal in Cebu, which the report described as a bustling port city of nearly a million people and a regional hub for trade, commerce, and tourism. Archival said preparations are underway to address a “looming garbage collection issue,” but he did not give further details.
The report noted that landfills and open dumpsites have long raised safety and health concerns in the Philippines, especially near poor communities where residents often scavenge for junk and leftover food. It also recalled a July 2000 disaster in suburban Quezon City, part of metropolitan Manila, when a huge garbage mound collapsed and ignited a fire after days of stormy weather.
That 2000 collapse killed more than 200 people and left many others missing, damaged many shanties, and prompted a law requiring the closure of illegal dump sites nationwide along with improved and more sustainable waste management by authorities.
