Mountain of garbage collapses at Philippines landfill, killing 1, burying dozens

Rescue workers searched on Friday for dozens of people buried under a mountain of garbage that collapsed at a landfill in the central Philippines, killing at least one.

Mountain of garbage collapses at Philippines landfill, killing 1, burying dozens

TL;DR

  • A garbage mountain collapse at Binaliw Landfill in Cebu City buried dozens of people.
  • At least one person has died, and 34 remain missing.
  • 12 employees have been rescued alive and hospitalized.
  • The trash mountain was estimated to be four stories high.
  • Rescuers are limited in equipment due to the risk of igniting methane gas.
  • The cause of the collapse is under investigation, with typhoons and an earthquake cited as potential factors.
  • The landfill processes 1,000 tons of municipal solid waste daily and has 110 employees.
  • Many victims are from the neighboring town of Consolacion.
  • Safety concerns surrounding landfills, especially near poor communities, have been long-standing in the Philippines.
  • A similar tragedy in Manila in 2000 killed over 200 people and led to improved waste management regulations.