Philippines Trash Slide Leaves 4 Dead, Dozens Missing

Rescuers spotted “signs of life” after a massive pile of trash collapsed on Thursday, killing at least four landfill workers and leaving over 30 others unaccounted for.

The accident happened at a waste management site in the village of Binaliw in Cebu City, authorities said.

So far, twelve workers have been pulled from the rubble. Officials said on Saturday that search efforts would identified in attempts to save survivors.

Dozens of rescue personnel, including firefighters and police, have been working around the cloc, navigating through twisted metal, collapsed tin roofs, and combustible heaps of garbage.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a statement that signs of life had been confirmed in certain spots, which will require careful digging.

He added that a specialized 50-ton crane was on its way to the scene to help with the excavation.

The safety of the rescuers remains a top priority due to risks such as acetylene gas and unstable debris.

The four confirmed dead include an engineer and an office worker, all employed by the facility, which has a total staff of 110.

On Friday, officials initially reported two deaths and 36 missing workers. By Saturday, the death toll had risen to four.

The reason for the collapse is still unknown. A survivor told reporters that the wall of garbage came down suddenly, without warning, and that the weather was calm at the time.

Jaylord Antigua, 31, an office worker at the landfill, described how the pile fell and crushed the administrative office he was in. He managed to free himself, sustaining bruises on his face and arms, after crawling through the debris.

He remembered moving quickly toward any light he could find, worried that more of the trash might collapse.

At this point, it’s not clear how the accident will impact garbage disposal operations at the Cebu facility.