In brief
A landfill collapse in Cebu City, Philippines, has claimed the life of a 22-year-old woman and left over 30 workers missing. Rescuers managed to save 12 injured sanitation workers but face challenges due to unstable conditions at the site. The cause of the accident is believed to relate to poor waste management practices, with city officials expressing concerns about further collapses during rescue operations.
A mountain of rubbish collapsed at a landfill in the central Philippines on Thursday, killing a 22-year-old woman and leaving more than 30 people missing, authorities have said. Rescuers pulled 12 injured sanitation workers from debris at the Binaliw Landfill in Cebu City, who were later hospitalised. Many of the missing are believed to be workers at the landfill. The mayor of Cebu told news outlet ABS-CBN that it may be difficult to reach survivors because of the potential for further collapse.The cause of the collapse is still unclear, but Cebu City councillor Joel Garganera said it was likely the result of poor waste management practices. Some 300 people from various government agencies and civilian groups have been deployed to the privately-owned landfill. Several excavators, ambulances and fire trucks have also been seen on site.'All response teams remain fully engaged in search and retrieval efforts to locate the remaining missing persons,' Cebu Mayor Nestor Archival said in a Facebook post on Friday. He further emphasized the complexities of the rescue, stating that excavation efforts could worsen the situation if not handled carefully.Families are on edge as they await news about their loved ones trapped in the debris. Binaliw resident Belen Antigua mentioned that her son survived, but she’s still waiting for her other relatives to be found. 'I could not understand my emotions. They said those trapped are calling for help, so there is a possibility that my brother is still there,' expressed Michelle Lumapas, whose brother is a landfill worker.The Binaliw landfill spans about 15 hectares and is representative of waste management challenges faced in major Philippine cities like Cebu, a critical trading center and transport hub in the Visayas region.
