Dozens Missing After Deadly Landfill Collapse in Philippines; Rescuers Race Against Time
January 10, 2026
Rescue workers in Cebu City, Philippines are rushing to find more than 30 people missing after a deadly landfill collapse at the Binaliw site. The landslide happened on Thursday while about 110 workers were on site. So far, four people have died and 12 others were hospitalized. Mayor Nestor Archival said on Saturday that signs of life were detected under the debris, two days after the collapse. "Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation and the deployment of a more advanced 50-ton crane," Archival posted on Facebook. The rescue teams face tough conditions like unstable debris and are waiting for better equipment. Cebu City councillor Dave Tumulak said, "We are just hoping that we can get someone alive... We are racing against time, that's why our deployment is 24/7." Families wait anxiously for news. Jerahmey Espinoza, whose husband is missing, told Reuters, "They haven't seen him or located him ever since the disaster happened. We're still hopeful that he's alive." The cause of the collapse is not clear yet. But Cebu City councillor Joel Garganera mentioned poor waste management could be the reason. "Operators had been cutting into the mountain, mining the soil, and then piling garbage to form another mountain of waste," Garganera said. The Binaliw landfill covers about 15 hectares and is privately owned. Landfills are common in major Philippine cities like Cebu, a key trading and transport hub for the Visayas islands.
Read More at Bbc →
Tags:
Landfill Collapse
Cebu City
Philippines
Rescue operation
Missing Workers
Binaliw Landfill
Comments