Death toll in massive landfill collapse in Philippines rises to 11

The death toll from a massive landfill collapse in Cebu City in the Philippines has climbed to 11, as rescuers continued the risky search for dozens of people believed to be trapped beneath tons of garbage, twisted metal, and debris.

Cebu City Fire Station spokesperson Wendell Villanueva said on Tuesday that 25 people remain unaccounted for, while 12 others were injured when a huge mound of waste gave way at a landfill facility in Barangay Binaliw last week.

Search and rescue operations have been underway for several days, with emergency teams working round the clock in highly unstable conditions.

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Authorities say the pace of the operation has increased following the arrival of additional heavy equipment, though safety concerns continue to complicate efforts, according to GMA News.

Cebu City mayor, Nestor Archival, said responders detected possible “signs of life” beneath the collapsed site, prompting officials to remain in “rescue mode despite the passage of more than 72 hours”.

He said early rescue efforts had been deliberately slow due to serious hazards, including gas leaks and the risk of further collapse involving interconnected steel structures.

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Survivors have described the collapse as sudden and without warning. One worker told the Associated Press that the wall of garbage came crashing down in seconds, destroying offices and trapping employees inside. “I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry, because I feared there will be more landslides,” Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker who escaped with injuries, said. “It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.”

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas has issued a cease-and-desist order against Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc., the landfill’s operator, suspending all operations at the site.

The department said the company would have to “submit a compliance plan within 90 days”.

The company said it was cooperating with authorities and providing assistance to those affected. “The safety and well-being of our employees, contractors, and neighbouring communities remain our top priority,” it said in a statement.

The disaster has revived long-standing concerns about landfill safety in the Philippines. Similar sites, often located near low-income communities, have been linked to deadly accidents in the past.

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“This should have never happened,” Senator Imee Marcos said. “We have seen similar tragedies before, yet the same dangers persist.”

“The lives lost in Cebu demand clear answers and real reforms.”

In 2000, more than 200 people were killed when a garbage dump collapsed in Quezon City, prompting national reforms on waste management – reforms critics say have been unevenly enforced.