Cebu City: A massive mound of rubbish has collapsed at a landfill in the central Philippines, killing a 22-year-old woman and leaving at least 38 people missing, authorities said.
The incident occurred at the privately owned Binaliw Landfill in Cebu City, where rescuers pulled 12 injured sanitation workers from the debris. All the injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment, while search and rescue operations continued.
Officials believe many of the victims were workers at the landfill at the time of the collapse. The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation. Around 300 personnel from various government agencies, along with volunteers from civilian groups, have been deployed to the site. Heavy equipment, including excavators, as well as ambulances and fire trucks, is being used to aid rescue and retrieval efforts.
Cebu Mayor Nestor Archival stated that, “All response teams remain fully engaged in search and retrieval efforts to locate the remaining missing persons.” Cebu City councillor Joel Garganera suggested the collapse may have been linked to unsafe waste management practices at the site. Joel Garganera told that landfill operators had been cutting into the mountain of waste to mine soil, before piling garbage again to form another mound.
Landfills remain common across major Philippine cities, including Cebu, which serves as a key trading centre and transportation gateway to the Visayas, the central islands of the archipelago.
The Binaliw landfill covers an area of about 10 hectares (25 acres). Authorities have not yet announced whether operations at the site will be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
TRENDING | NRA official loses work phone with sensitive information in China
