Rescue workers in the central Philippines were searching on Friday for dozens of people feared buried after a massive mound of garbage collapsed at a landfill in Cebu City, killing at least one person.
The incident occurred on Thursday at the privately operated Binaliw Landfill, where a towering pile of refuse — estimated to be as high as four storeys — suddenly gave way, burying sanitation workers beneath it. Dozens of workers were believed to have been caught in the collapse.
At least 12 employees were rescued alive from the debris and taken to hospital, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page. He added that rescue teams were fully engaged in search and retrieval operations to locate those still missing.
Aerial images released by police showed several structures crushed under the weight of the garbage. City assistant public information officer Jason Morata said the buildings housed company offices, as well as human resources, administrative and maintenance staff of the private firm operating the site.
Morata said investigators were considering multiple factors, including recent natural disasters that affected the area. “Cebu was struck by two typhoons in the latter part of 2025, and also an earthquake,” he said, adding that communication from the site was limited due to poor signal coverage.
The landfill processes about 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, according to the website of its operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions. Attempts to contact the company were unsuccessful.
Police in nearby Consolacion said many of the victims were believed to be from the town. “We don’t know what caused the collapse. It wasn’t raining at all,” said Marge Parcotello, a civilian staff member of the local police department.
The incident revived memories of the deadly Payatas landfill tragedy in July 2000, when more than 200 people were killed after a garbage avalanche engulfed a shanty town in Manila, sparking national outrage and reforms in waste management regulations.
