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this death toll From massive landfill collapse Cebu City exist the Philippines The number of people rescued has climbed to 11 as rescuers continued their risky search for dozens of people trapped beneath tons of trash, twisted metal and rubble.
Cebu City Twenty-five people were missing and 12 others injured after a pile of garbage collapsed last week at a landfill in Barangay Binaliw, fire department spokesman Wendell Villanueva said Tuesday.
search and rescue The operation has been ongoing for several days, with emergency teams working around the clock in highly unstable conditions.
Authorities said the pace of operations has increased with the arrival of more heavy equipment, but safety concerns continue to complicate efforts, GMA News reported.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said rescuers found possible “signs of life” beneath the collapse site, prompting officials to stay “rescue Even though more than 72 hours have passed, it is still in mode”.
He said it earlier rescue Work was deliberately delayed due to serious hazards, including gas leaks and the risk of further collapse of the interconnected steel structure.
Survivors described the collapse as sudden and without warning. A worker told The Associated Press that the trash wall collapsed within seconds, destroying the office and trapping employees inside. “I saw a light and crawled towards it because I was worried there would be more landslides,” said Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker who escaped injured. “It’s painful. I’m afraid this is the end of me, so this is my second life.”
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas has issued a cease-and-desist order to landfill operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc., suspending all operations at the landfill.
The company must “submit a compliance plan within 90 days,” the department said.
The company said it was cooperating with authorities and providing assistance to those affected. “The safety and well-being of our employees, contractors and neighboring communities remains our top priority,” the company said in a statement.
The disaster has reignited long-standing concerns about landfill safety. the Philippines. Similar sites, often located near low-income neighborhoods, have been linked to fatal crashes in the past.
“This should never have happened,” said Sen. Imee Marcos. “We’ve seen similar tragedies before, but the same dangers remain.”
“The lives lost in Cebu demand clear answers and real reform.”
In 2000, a garbage dump collapsed in Quezon City, killing more than 200 people and prompting national reforms to waste management – reforms that critics said were unevenly implemented.