Philippines, Jan 10: At least three people were killed and dozens remain unaccounted for after a massive landfill collapse struck the outskirts of Cebu City, authorities said on Thursday, triggering a large-scale rescue operation and renewed scrutiny of waste management safety.
The incident occurred shortly after 4pm on January 9 at a privately operated landfill in Binaliw, a mountainous area outside the city. A huge volume of garbage gave way following heavy rainfall, burying parts of the facility and trapping workers beneath debris.
Police said around 35 people were still missing, most of them landfill employees who were on duty at the time of the collapse. Twelve injured workers were rescued alive, while search teams reported hearing calls for help from beneath the wreckage, raising hopes of finding more survivors.
City officials confirmed that about 110 workers were present at the landfill when the disaster unfolded. The site handles nearly 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste each day, making it one of the region’s key waste-processing facilities.
More than 300 rescue personnel, including police, firefighters, and disaster-response teams, have been deployed. Temporary holding areas have been set up nearby to support families anxiously waiting for news of missing relatives.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said preliminary findings suggest the collapse may have been triggered by a combination of structural weakening from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu province in September and prolonged rainfall that saturated the landfill’s foundation.
Private operator Prime Waste Solutions Cebu said it was cooperating fully with authorities and had suspended operations indefinitely as investigations continue. The company did not respond to further requests for comment.
Officials said a full probe would examine compliance with safety standards, geological risks, and weather-related vulnerabilities.
The tragedy has revived painful memories of the Payatas dumpsite disaster in Manila in 2000, when more than 200 people were killed after a mountain of garbage collapsed during monsoon rains — one of the deadliest waste-related disasters in the country’s history.
As rescue efforts continue, authorities warned that unstable ground and ongoing rain could complicate operations in the coming days.
