Philippine authorities confirmed that the death toll from the garbage landslide at the landfill in Cebu City has risen to 11. Rescue teams have not given up hope after detecting signs of life beneath the massive debris, although firefighters fear the chances of survival are slim. Meanwhile, the government has ordered the immediate suspension of the service provider and launched an investigation into waste management systems nationwide.
The tragedy occurred last week at the "Binaliw" landfill in Cebu City, located in central Philippines. At the time of the incident, over 100 workers were on site. So far, officials have rescued 12 injured individuals, but more than 20 people remain missing.
Earlier, firefighters told AFP that survival was nearly impossible after being buried under tons of waste for more than three days. However, Nestor Archival, mayor of Cebu City, revealed that "signs of life" were detected beneath the collapsed structures and debris on Monday, prompting rescuers to continue their efforts in full "rescue mode."
Bianwinido Ranido, a local resident who lost his wife in the incident, recounted that he saw people running and shouting "garbage landslide" at the moment it happened. When he rushed to the scene on his motorcycle, he witnessed the building where his wife worked being buried under waste. Her lifeless body was found by rescuers the next day.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, the company managing the landfill, to immediately cease all operations. The company must submit a compliant operational plan within 90 days.
Preliminary reports from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau suggest that the landslide may have been caused by weeks of heavy rain, which greatly increased the weight of the waste beyond the structure’s capacity, compounded by other engineering factors.
Senator Imee Marcos has called for serious reforms in waste management regulations and the welfare of waste workers. She stated, "This should never have happened. We have seen such tragedies before, but the same hazards remain. The lives lost in Cebu demand answers and genuine reform."
The Binaliw landfill covers more than 125 rai (approximately 20 hectares), with the area used for direct waste disposal spanning about 18 rai (approximately 2.9 hectares). Cebu City is a major commercial and transportation hub in the Visayas region of the Philippines.
. BBC