In the Philippines, rescuers found "signs of life" under the rubble of a garbage landslide
Kyiv • UNN
In the Philippines, rescuers detected signs of life at the site of a massive landfill collapse in the village of Binaliw, Cebu City. The tragedy, which occurred on January 8, 2026, claimed the lives of four workers, with over 30 people still missing.
Philippine rescue services have detected signs of life at the site of a massive landfill collapse in Binaliw village, Cebu City. The tragedy, which occurred on Thursday, January 8, 2026, has already claimed the lives of four workers, with over 30 more still missing. As of Saturday, January 10, authorities announced the intensification of search operations. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed that special equipment and search dogs detected activity in certain areas under tons of waste.
Authorities have confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in certain areas, which requires continued meticulous excavation and the deployment of a more advanced 50-ton crane, which is en route under police escort.
So far, 12 workers have been rescued, who sustained injuries of varying severity and were hospitalized. Rescuers are working in extremely dangerous conditions amidst piles of metal structures, combustible waste, and unstable building debris.
Causes and scale of the disaster
The collapse occurred on the territory of a private waste management enterprise, where about 110 employees were present at the time of the incident. A huge mountain of garbage suddenly collapsed onto administrative and warehouse buildings. Among the confirmed dead are an engineer and an office worker of the facility. The investigation is examining the causes of the landslide, which include soil instability after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the region last September, as well as recent heavy rains that could have undermined the landfill's foundation.
Due to the suspension of operations at the Binaliw landfill, Cebu City has faced a logistical problem with waste disposal. Currently, municipal authorities are looking for alternative sites for waste removal in neighboring communities.