Philippines garbage avalanche: 4 dead, over 30 missing; rescue efforts intensify
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Manila: Rescuers have detected signs of life in a massive garbage avalanche that killed at least four workers and left more than 30 others missing on Thursday at a central Philippines landfill, authorities said Saturday. Search efforts are being intensified.
Twelve workers have been rescued with injuries from the collapsed mound of garbage at a waste management facility in the village of Binaliw, Cebu City, officials said.
Dozens of rescuers, including police, firefighters, and disaster-response personnel, are racing against time to locate more survivors amid dangerous conditions in the rubble of twisted tin roofs, iron bars, and combustible garbage heaps.
“Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation and the deployment of a more advanced 50-ton crane, which is enroute with police escort,” Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a statement.
Archival added, “Safety of responders remains paramount due to hazards such as unstable debris and acetylene risks, prompting adjustments to the security perimeter and controlled access.”
The four confirmed dead, including an engineer and a female office worker, were employees of the landfill and waste management facility, which has a staff of 110, according to the mayor and police. The initial list of victims on Friday included two dead and 36 missing, which increased to four dead on Saturday. The current number of missing has not been updated.
The cause of the collapse remains unclear. A survivor told The Associated Press that the incident happened instantly and without warning, despite fairly good weather.
Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the landfill, said the wall of garbage cascaded down and destroyed the administrative office where he was working. He escaped with bruises on his face and arms by crawling through the debris in darkness.
“I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry, because I feared there would be more landslides,” Antigua said. “It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.”
It remains unclear how the accident will affect garbage disposal in Cebu, a bustling port city of nearly one million residents and a regional hub for trade, commerce, and tourism. Preparations are underway to manage the looming garbage collection issue, Archival said, without providing further details.
Landfills and open dumpsites have long posed safety and health risks in the Philippines, especially near poor communities where many residents scavenge for food and materials.
In July 2000, a massive garbage mound in a shantytown in suburban Quezon City, part of metropolitan Manila, collapsed and ignited a fire after days of stormy weather. The disaster killed more than 200 people, left many missing, destroyed shanties, and prompted a nationwide law requiring the closure of illegal dump sites and the adoption of improved waste management practices.
With PTI inputs