THE death toll from the collapse of the landfill in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City rose to three as of 6:35 p.m. Friday, according to the latest situation report from the Bureau of Fire Protection.
All three fatalities have been recovered from the site. Authorities said 35 people remain unaccounted for, while 12 others were rescued from the debris and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Search and rescue operations continued around the clock Friday despite dangerous conditions caused by methane gas and unstable ground.
At least 500 rescuers from various agencies were deployed and organized into four teams — Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta — each assigned to a specific section of the landfill. Another 500 personnel remain on standby.
The collapse occurred at 4:17 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, when a massive garbage slide struck the facility, burying parts of the landfill management building, staff housing areas and the office of Prime Waste Solutions Cebu, the site’s operator. Some workers were reportedly trapped inside the landfill management building.
Incident commander Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said rescue operations will continue 24 hours a day, with authorities observing a three-day rescue window from Jan. 9 to 11 before shifting to retrieval operations.
“We are hoping we can retrieve the 34 who are still inside before that date,” he said.
Families cling to hope
Families of the trapped workers gathered outside the restricted area, anxiously waiting for updates as operations continued.
Michelle Lumapas, a resident of Barangay Binaliw, said she continues to pray for the safe rescue of her younger brother, Jonell Mabatid, 22. She last spoke with him at lunchtime on the day of the incident.
Lumapas said she learned of the collapse from a co-worker and rushed to the site after finishing her shift but was barred from entering due to ongoing rescue operations.
“Sa ako emotion di ko kasabot kay ana sila nga naay sige og panawag og tabang (I cannot explain what I am feeling because they said there were people constantly calling for help in the rubble). Nagsige na lang mi og ampo nga safe lang unta siya (We keep praying that he is safe). Ambot lang, Ginoo na lang gyud ang nasayud (I don’t know, only God truly knows),” she said.
Some residents living nearby said they heard trapped workers calling for help shortly after the collapse, but the voices grew fainter by evening as heavy equipment was brought in.
Safety risks
Tension mounted among families waiting outside the perimeter, with some relatives urging rescuers to hasten operations and expressing frustration over what they perceived as slow progress. Others complained about the lack of timely and consolidated updates from authorities.
The landfill employs 139 workers, most of whom are residents of nearby barangays.
Archival said rescue efforts are being slowed by methane gas trapped beneath the garbage pile, which restricts the use of cutting and grinding equipment due to fire and suffocation risks.
The continued movement of the garbage mound has also raised concerns that excessive use of heavy equipment could trigger further collapse. About 40 heavy equipment units are on site, but their deployment remains tightly controlled to ensure the safety of both rescuers and victims still buried beneath the rubble.