At least two people have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after a towering pile of garbage collapsed at a landfill in Cebu City, in the central Philippines, triggering a major rescue operation, authorities said on Friday.
The incident occurred on Thursday at the Binaliw Landfill, a privately operated waste disposal site, where around 50 sanitation workers were reportedly buried when a mountain of refuse gave way and crashed onto buildings and work areas below.
Rescue teams continued searching through the debris on Friday amid difficult and dangerous conditions. Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said there were “signs of life” detected beneath the rubble, raising hopes that more survivors could be found. He added that hundreds of rescuers were already on site, with an additional 500 expected to join efforts that could continue until Sunday.
The confirmed death toll rose to two after the recovery of the body of a 25-year-old engineer, the mayor said in an update posted on social media. At least 36 people were still missing by Friday evening, while 12 employees had been rescued alive and taken to hospital for treatment.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moment the landfill collapsed. Rita Cogay, a 49-year-old compactor operator, told AFP she had stepped outside to get water moments before the building she had been working in was crushed.
“I thought a helicopter had crashed. But when I turned, it was the garbage and the building coming down. I ran to safety,” she said, adding that she saw a co-worker pulled alive from the wreckage after calling out for help.
Officials said rescue operations were constrained by the risk of methane gas igniting if heavy machinery or equipment that could generate sparks was used. As a result, teams were proceeding cautiously, relying largely on manual methods and specialised tools.
City assistant public information officer Jason Morata said the collapsed trash pile was estimated to be about four storeys high. Aerial images released by police showed several structures flattened beneath the weight of the garbage. The buildings reportedly housed company offices, human resources, administrative and maintenance staff for the firm operating the landfill.
The exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Morata noted that Cebu had been hit by two typhoons late in 2025, as well as an earthquake, which may have weakened the landfill structure. However, officials said there was no rainfall at the time of the collapse.
The landfill processes about 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, according to the website of its operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions. Attempts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful.
Police officials said many of the victims were residents of Consolacion, a town neighbouring the landfill site. Communications from the area have been limited due to poor network coverage, slowing the flow of information.
The tragedy has revived memories of one of the Philippines’ worst waste-related disasters, when more than 200 people were killed in July 2000 after a massive garbage avalanche buried a shanty town in Manila. That incident prompted public outrage and led to the passage of legislation aimed at improving waste management and regulating open landfills.
As search and rescue operations continue in Cebu, authorities have pledged a full investigation into the collapse and renewed scrutiny of landfill safety standards across the country.
