A catastrophic collapse of a massive garbage mound at a waste segregation facility in the central Philippines has left one person dead and at least 27 others missing, according to local police.
Rescue Efforts Underway After Garbage Avalanche
The incident occurred in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city. Police reported that an avalanche of garbage and debris buried workers at the site on Friday, 9 January 2026. Regional police director Brig. Gen. Roderick Maranan confirmed that rescuers managed to retrieve eight people alive from the rubble. Tragically, one of those rescued, a female landfill worker, died while being transported to hospital.
Seven other individuals survived with injuries. The initial police report cited by Maranan states that search and rescue operations are ongoing for the 27 people who remain unaccounted for. The facility employs 110 people, and while most victims are believed to be workers, it is unclear if any non-workers were caught in the collapse.
Conflicting Figures and Official Response
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival provided slightly different figures, stating that at least 12 people had been rescued and 38 were missing. The reason for the discrepancy between the police and mayoral accounts was not immediately clear.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Mayor Archival sought to reassure the public, saying: "All response teams remain fully engaged in search and retrieval efforts to locate the remaining missing persons with strict adherence to safety protocols." He added that the city government was taking all necessary measures to ensure safety, transparency, and compassionate assistance for the affected families.
Scene of the Disaster
Brig. Gen. Maranan described how a wall of cascading waste hit low-slung buildings at the landfill. One of the structures affected was a warehouse where workers sorted recyclable materials from general rubbish. It remains unknown if any nearby houses were also impacted by the slide.
Throughout the night, dozens of rescuers scrambled at the site under difficult conditions, searching for those still trapped. Authorities and officials from the waste management company were scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to address the crisis and its aftermath.
