At least four people were killed and dozens remained missing after a landfill collapsed in the central Philippines, triggering a major rescue operation that was continuing into Saturday, according to local authorities. The incident occurred shortly after 4 pm on Thursday at a private landfill in Binaliw, a mountainous area on the outskirts of Cebu city. Police said 34 people were still unaccounted for, most of them workers believed to be trapped beneath tons of debris after a large section of the waste facility gave way, NYT reported. “We detected signs of life in some areas,” Cebu city mayor Nestor Archival wrote in a social media post on Saturday, adding that rescuers were waiting for a large crane to help clear debris. Twelve people have so far been pulled out alive and taken to hospitals. Police captain Wilmer Castillo of the city police office said rescue teams were racing against time as voices were reportedly heard from beneath the rubble. Around 300 personnel had been deployed for search and rescue operations, according to the country’s main disaster management agency, and holding areas were set up for families awaiting information. “They said those trapped are calling for help, so there is a possibility that my brother is still there,” Michelle Lumapas, whose brother works in the landfill’s engineering department, told ABS-CBN. Mayor Archival said the landfill collapse involved about 110 employees. A 22-year-old woman was confirmed dead, while the body of a 25-year-old worker was recovered on Friday. The identities of two other victims had not been released. All those reported missing were employees of the facility, officials said.Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse. Archival told reporters that preliminary findings pointed to ground instability possibly linked to a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu province in September. He added that heavy rainfall may have seeped into the landfill’s base, weakening its foundation.The landfill is operated by Prime Waste Solutions Cebu, which processes around 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, according to its website. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment but said in a statement carried by local media that it was coordinating with government agencies and had suspended operations.City officials said alternative garbage collection and disposal arrangements were being explored.The disaster has revived memories of a 2000 tragedy in Manila’s Payatas dumpsite, where more than 200 people were killed after a garbage mound collapsed during monsoon rains.
