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Search and rescue operations Philippine landfill collapses Rescue efforts ended on Monday after the last missing worker was found, bringing the death toll to 36.
Cebu City Officials said the last body was recovered shortly after dawn on January 18, 10 days after most of the bodies were recovered. Binarelli landfill abandoned. The dump, located in a mountainous area outside the city, is the focus of a round-the-clock operation by hundreds of rescue workers.
“today, Search and rescue operations Councilor David Tumulak, chairman of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee, said the committee had been officially terminated. straits times.
Mr Tumulak said the last victim was found at 5:41am local time but has not yet been identified.
Six bodies recovered from the scene remain unidentified.
The landslide also injured 18 people, according to the city government. Four of them remain in hospital.
The disaster occurred around 5 p.m. on January 8 when a large amount of trash, steel and heavy equipment slid down, trapping workers inside the facility operated by Prime Integrated Waste Solutions.
The landfill serves Cebu as well as the neighboring cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Achiwal said: “Everything is complete and all missing persons have been found.” The investigation will begin immediately. ”
State authorities are also reviewing the circumstances that led to the collapse.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources earlier ordered the landfill operator to suspend activities and submit a compliance plan within 90 days while officials assess whether safety and engineering standards were breached, the BBC reported.
Local media cited preliminary findings from the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences as suggesting that weeks of rain, combined with structural factors, may have crushed the waste.
Mr Achwal had earlier said the rubbish pile was “like a sponge” after heavy rains brought by a typhoon in November, although other possible causes such as seismic activity had previously been considered. new york times.
All people reported missing have been found, the fire department said, adding that it would continue to monitor the area.
The collapse disrupted garbage collection operations in Cebu City. Cebu City is a city of approximately 1 million people and a major commercial center in the Visayas, a central archipelago of the Philippine archipelago.
City officials have been forced to move the waste to other areas while negotiating temporary disposal arrangements, a challenge made more urgent by the San Nullo Festival, which attracts millions of visitors each year and sees a sharp increase in waste volumes.
Lawmakers and environmental groups have renewed calls for broader reforms to the country’s waste management system and better protections for landfill workers, warning that similar landfills exist near residential areas across the Philippines.