Khaberni - Rescue teams in central Philippines continue on Saturday their risky search operations for dozens of workers buried under massive mounds of garbage, following the collapse of a huge waste dump in Cebu City, in an incident that killed several people and caused widespread shock in the country.
The Binaliw landfill, a private facility serving Cebu City and surrounding areas, collapsed on Thursday when a mountain of waste estimated to be about 20 stories high crashed down on buildings designated for living and working of sanitation workers.
Authorities reported that about 50 workers were buried alive under the waste, while so far at least 6 bodies have been retrieved, with dozens still missing.
A rescue team worker told the French Press Agency that operations are facing great difficulties due to the instability of the dump, noting that piles of garbage occasionally shift, forcing rescue teams to temporarily halt for their safety.
She added that the use of excavators is done with extreme caution for fear of further collapses.
Obstacles Surround the Rescue Operations
Local authorities indicated that the flow of information from the disaster site is slow, due to weak signal in the dump area.
Cebu City council member Dev Tomulak said 32 people are still missing, explaining that many victims were inside employees' residences located within the landfill facility.
Sources at the scene confirmed that rescue operations are also being hindered by the presence of very heavy steel pieces, in addition to the pressure from the upper layers of waste, thereby increasing the risk of secondary collapses.
One of the officials said: "We hold on to hope and pray for a miracle, but we cannot rush as the safety of the rescue teams is a priority."
So far, rescue teams have managed to rescue at least 12 workers alive from under the rubble, who were then transported to hospitals for treatment.
Local officials and experts warned that the height of the dump has been "concerning" for a long time, especially with the rainfall that increases the risk of slippage, as the waste absorbs water densely, making it unstable.
One member of the municipal council said the incident was "inevitable" given this great height.
The disaster is a double blow for Cebu City, as the Binaliw landfill was the only facility that processed solid waste in the city and the surrounding areas, with company data indicating that it received about a thousand tons of waste daily.
