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Rescue workers in the central Philippines were searching a landfill in Cebu City on Friday after a massive pile of garbage collapsed, leaving at least two people dead.
Dozens of others are feared trapped beneath the debris as emergency teams continue rescue operations at the site.
The incident occurred on Thursday at the privately operated Binaliw Landfill, where about 50 sanitation workers were reportedly buried when a towering mound of refuse gave way.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said there were indications that some victims might still be alive, as rescue operations intensified.
Archival said hundreds of rescuers were already deployed at the site and would be reinforced by about 500 additional personnel, with search efforts expected to continue through Sunday.
He hinted that operations were being carried out cautiously due to the risk of igniting methane gas emitted from the landfill, which limits the use of heavy equipment.
By Friday evening, the recovery of a 25-year-old engineer brought the confirmed death toll to two, while 36 people remained missing, according to the mayor. At least 12 workers have been rescued alive and taken to the hospital for treatment.
One of the workers, Rita Cogay, who operates a compactor at the landfill, recounted that she had stepped out briefly moments before the structure she was in was crushed by the collapsing waste.
City assistant public information officer Jason Morata said the garbage pile was estimated to be about four storeys high.
He noted that several structures, including company offices and administrative and maintenance facilities operated by the private firm managing the site, were destroyed in the collapse.
Morata said authorities were considering multiple factors that may have contributed to the incident, including the impact of two typhoons that struck Cebu late in 2025 and a recent earthquake.
He noted that communication from the site had been difficult due to poor network coverage.
The landfill, operated by Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, processes about 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, according to information on the company’s website.
A police staff member in neighbouring Consolacion town, Marge Parcotello, said the cause of the collapse remained unclear, noting that there had been no rainfall at the time. She added that many of the affected workers were residents of Consolacion.
The tragedy has revived memories of the July 2000 Payatas dumpsite disaster in Manila, where more than 200 people were killed after a garbage avalanche swept through a nearby shanty town.
That incident sparked nationwide outrage and led to the passage of legislation aimed at improving waste management and regulating open landfills in the Philippines.
