At a Glance
- A landslide of garbage buried workers at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City around 4:17 p.m. on Jan. 8
- 110 employees were on-site; one woman, 22, has died and 38 people remain missing
- Rescue teams detect signs of life but must avoid sparks that could ignite methane gas
- Why it matters: The disaster highlights the deadly risks of unsafe waste mountains in rapidly growing Philippine cities.
A wall of trash four stories high gave way without warning at a Cebu City landfill, trapping scores of workers beneath tons of refuse and prompting a desperate search for survivors.
The Collapse
The avalanche struck the Binaliw site at 4:17 p.m. local time, sweeping through the area where 110 employees were working. Nestor Archival, Cebu City mayor, confirmed the dead woman was a landfill worker who succumbed en route to hospital.
- 12 injured people have been hospitalized
- 34-38 workers are still unaccounted for, according to updated figures
- No rain had fallen, leaving officials puzzled over the trigger
City spokesperson Jason Morata described the garbage mountain as “must be four stories high.”
Rescue Under Hazardous Conditions
Search teams-already 500-strong and set to swell further-must proceed carefully. Heavy machinery could create sparks that ignite the landfill’s methane, complicating digging efforts expected to last at least through Sunday, Jan. 11.
Brig. Gen. Roderick Maranan, regional police director, told reporters rescuers are using listening devices and dogs to locate survivors.
| Status | Count |
|---|---|
| Confirmed dead | 1 |
| Hospitalized | 12 |
| Missing | 34-38 |
Jaylord Antigua, 31, an office worker on site, crawled out from beneath collapsed debris after spotting a sliver of light. “I feared that it was my end,” he said, describing the ordeal as giving him “a second life.”
Key Takeaways
- A four-story trash pile collapsed in Cebu City, killing one worker and leaving dozens missing
- Methane gas risk slows rescue teams; 500 rescuers are rotating in shifts
- Operations are expected to continue at least until Sunday, with officials citing detected “signs of life”
Mayor Archival urged continued prayers “for the safety of all affected and for the strength of our rescuers working tirelessly on the scene.”
