Garbage Pile as High as Four Stories Collapses in Cebu, Philippines: 2 Dead, 36 Missing

Signs of Life Detected
500 Additional Rescuers Deployed

A pile of garbage as high as a four-story building collapsed at a landfill in Cebu, Philippines, burying workers underneath. So far, two people have been confirmed dead and 36 are reported missing.

The site of the landfill collapse accident in Binanliu, Cebu, Philippines. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to AP and AFP on January 10 (local time), the accident occurred on the afternoon of January 8 at a private landfill in Binanliu village, Cebu City. A massive pile of soil and waste suddenly gave way, burying the waste sorting facility below.

Workers at the landfill and waste processing facility were trapped by the collapse, and 12 people have been rescued and transported to the hospital so far. All the deceased, missing, and injured are believed to have been working at the landfill.

Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker who was at the scene, told AP, "The weather was clear, but the pile of garbage suddenly collapsed," adding, "I managed to crawl out of the debris and barely escaped." Another employee, Rita Kogei, 49, told AFP, "At first, I thought a helicopter had crashed," describing the situation at the time.

Photos released by Philippine authorities show a massive landslide-like collapse of garbage destroying the metal roof and steel structures of the waste sorting warehouse. A Cebu City official explained that the garbage pile was about the height of a four-story building.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said at a press conference that "signs of life have been detected at the site," and announced that 500 additional rescuers would be deployed to expand the search. Families of the missing are anxiously waiting at the scene, pleading for continued search efforts.

About 110 people usually worked at the landfill where the accident occurred, and it handled an average of 1,000 tons of waste per day. Local police stated, "It was not raining at the time of the accident, and the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined."

Large-scale landfill collapses have occurred in the Philippines in the past. In July 2000, after heavy rain near the capital Manila, a garbage pile collapsed onto a slum, killing more than 200 people. In response, stricter waste management regulations were enacted.