Landfill Collapse in Philippines Buries Sanitation Workers, Dozens Still Missing

A massive landfill collapse in the Philippines has left at least six people dead, with dozens of sanitation workers still missing, after a towering mound of rubbish gave way at a waste facility in Cebu City.

Around 50 workers were buried when the rubbish heap—estimated to be as tall as a 20-storey building—collapsed at the Binaliw landfill site, where municipal waste is processed daily. Authorities said 12 people were rescued, while at least 32 remain unaccounted for.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said on Saturday that rescuers had detected signs of life at the site, two days after the disaster. However, operations have been slowed by the ongoing risk of further collapse as the landfill continues to shift.

“From time to time, the landfill is moving, and that will temporarily stop the operation,” said Cebu rescuer Jo Reyes, highlighting the dangers faced by emergency crews navigating unstable debris.

Drone footage from the site showed a vast mass of rubbish cascading downhill, crushing administrative buildings and a warehouse where workers had been sorting waste. The facility also included staff housing, where many of those buried are believed to have been living, according to Cebu City councillor Joel Garganera.

Rescue teams working in 24-hour shifts recovered two additional bodies on Saturday, though extraction efforts were hampered by heavy metal beams buried beneath the waste. “We cannot retrieve the bodies because of the heavy metal beam that fell on them,” said councillor Dave Tumulak, adding that specialised equipment was being deployed to cut through the debris.

Around 20 trucks equipped with hydraulic cranes and cutting tools have been sent to assist rescuers, who have been forced to crawl through narrow gaps to reach blocked areas. Officials said the operation has become a race against time, with crews working continuously in hopes of finding survivors.

Families of missing workers have gathered near the site, anxiously awaiting updates. One worker, 49-year-old Rita Cogay, narrowly escaped death after stepping out for water moments before the building she was in was crushed. “I thought a helicopter had crashed,” she said. “But it was the garbage and the building coming down.”

Others remain hopeful. Jerahmey Espinoza, whose husband is missing, said rescuers have yet to locate him. “We’re still hopeful that he’s alive,” she said.

Officials believe heavy rainfall likely contributed to the collapse, as water absorbed by accumulated waste destabilised the landfill. The disaster has also disrupted waste services, as the facility was the primary disposal site for Cebu City and surrounding areas.

The landfill’s operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, states that the site processes around 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste each day—underscoring both the scale of operations and the risks involved at a facility now at the centre of one of the city’s deadliest industrial disasters.