Filipino rescuers detect 'signs of life' in garbage avalanche that
killed 4 and left dozens missing
[January 10, 2026]
By JIM GOMEZ
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Rescuers detected signs of life in an
avalanche of garbage that killed at least four workers and left more
than 30 others missing Thursday in a central Philippines landfill and
plan to intensify search efforts, an official said Saturday.
Twelve workers have been rescued with injuries from the huge mound of
garbage that collapsed among the low-slung buildings of a waste
management facility in the village of Binaliw in Cebu City, authorities
said.
Dozens of rescuers including police, firefighters and disaster-response
personnel have raced against time to find more survivors in dangerous
conditions in the rubble of twisted tin roofs, iron bars and combustible
heaps of garbage and debris.
“Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in
specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation and the
deployment of a more advanced 50-ton crane, which is enroute with police
escort,” Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a statement.
“Safety of responders remains paramount due to hazards such as unstable
debris and acetylene risks, prompting adjustments to the security
perimeter and controlled access,” Archival said.
The four dead, including an engineer and a female office worker, were
all employees of the landfill and waste management facility with a staff
of 110, according to the mayor and police.
The initial list of victims on Friday included two dead and 36 missing,
which increased Saturday to four dead, according to Archival, who did
not provide an updated nunber of people missing.
The cause of the collapse of the mountain of garbage remains unclear,
but a survivor told The Associated Press on Friday that it happened in
an instant without any warning despite fairly good weather at the time.
Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the landfill, said the
wall of garbage cascaded down and destroyed the administrative office he
was in. He extricated himself with bruises on his face and arms by
crawling in darkness in the rubble and debris.
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A huge mound of garbage that collapsed Thursday afternoon at a waste
segregation facility in Binaliw, Cebu city, central Philippines is
seen on Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Hernandez)
“I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry, because I feared
there will be more landslides,” Antigua said. “It was traumatic. I
feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.”
It is unclear how the accident would affect garbage disposal in the
landfill in Cebu, a bustling port city of nearly a million people
that serves as a regional hub for trade, commerce and tourism.
Preparations “are also underway to manage the looming garbage
collection issue," Archival said in his statement without further
details.
Such landfills and open dumpsites have long been a source of safety
and health concerns throughout the Philippines, especially in areas
close to poor communities where many residents scavenge for junk and
leftover food in the garbage heaps.
In July 2000, a huge garbage mound in a shantytown in suburban
Quezon City, part of metropolitan Manila, collapsed and ignited a
fire after days of stormy weather.
The disaster left more than 200 people dead and many more missing,
damaged scores of shanties and prompted a law requiring the closure
of illegal dump sites nationwide, as well as improved and more
sustainable waste management by authorities.
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