In the wake of a landfill collapse in the central Philippines, rescuers, using bulldozers, continue their arduous search for possible survivors among the mountains of garbage. The tragic incident led to the burial of dozens of cleaners and the death of at least six people.
A massive mass of waste buried buildings that were designated to house about 50 cleaners. A city council member estimated the height of the “Binaliw” landfill, a private facility located in Cebu City, to be about 20 stories.
“Joe Reyes,” a worker within the rescue teams, told Agence France-Presse that “rescuers face the risk of further debris collapsing as they move between them,” adding that “operations are still underway, but the movement of the landfill from time to time requires a temporary halt to preserve the safety of rescuers.”
City officials pointed out that the flow of information from the disaster site is slow due to the weak communications network in the landfill that serves Cebu City and the surrounding areas.
In a related context, “Dave Tumulak,” an official in the Cebu City Council, told Agence France-Presse that six bodies have been recovered so far, and 32 people are still missing. Another source mentioned that “the victims were inside the facility when the accident occurred, as there are employee residences inside where most of those buried reside.”
The source explained that “rescue teams are facing great difficulties as a result of the presence of very heavy pieces of steel, in addition to the movement of piles of garbage from time to time due to the pressure resulting from the upper layers.”
Regarding the timeline for rescue operations, he said: “We hold on to hope and pray for a miracle,” stressing that “the recovery of bodies cannot be rushed, as many family members are still inside the site waiting for any positive result.”
Reports indicate that 12 employees have been rescued alive so far from under piles of garbage and taken to the hospital for treatment.
For his part, “Garganera,” in a telephone call with Agence France-Presse, stated that “landslides occur from time to time around Cebu City, especially with rainfall, so how will it be when it comes to a landfill or a mountain of garbage where the risks are greater?” He added that “garbage is like a sponge that absorbs water a lot, and it does not take much analysis to realize that the accident was inevitable.”
“Garganera” described the height of the garbage mountain as “worrying,” estimating that the top of the pile was rising about 20 stories above the affected area, noting that drivers have always expressed concern about the danger of driving on the steep road leading to the top.
He concluded by saying that this disaster represents a “double whammy” for Cebu City, given that this facility was the city and neighboring communities’ “sole service provider.”
