Landfill collapse kills one and leaves dozens missing in Philippines 

An avalanche of rubbish buried workers at a waste segregation facility in a central Philippine city, killing one person, injuring seven and leaving at least 27 others missing, police have said.

Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of rubbish and debris collapsed on them in Binaliw, Cebu city, police said on Friday.

Those affected included workers at the landfill, but it was unclear if non-workers were among the victims.

One of those rescued, a female landfill worker, died while being brought to a hospital, regional police director Roderick Maranan told The Associated Press news agency, adding the rest survived with injuries.

Search and rescue efforts were continuing for the 27 missing, Maranan said, citing an initial police report.

Cebu city Mayor Nestor Archival said Friday that at least 12 people have been rescued and 38 others remain missing. The reason for the different numbers of missing and rescued given by the police and Archival was not immediately clear.

“All response teams remain fully engaged in search and retrieval efforts to locate the remaining missing persons with strict adherence to safety protocols,” Archival said in a statement posted on Facebook.

At the landfill site, dozens of rescuers scrambled overnight in search of people trapped.

“The city government assures the public and the families of those affected that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure safety, transparency, accountability and compassionate assistance as operations continue,” Archival said.

Authorities and officials at the waste management facility, which has 110 employees, were to hold an emergency meeting on Friday, Archival said.

Aerial photos released by police showed what appeared to be multiple structures crushed under the weight of the rubbish.

Jason Morata, a city assistant public information officer, said the buildings had housed “company offices, HR, admin, maintenance staff” for a private firm that ran the site.

“It must be four storeys high,” Morata said of the rubbish mountain.

He added that information was emerging at a trickle, as there was “no signal” at the dump site.

The landfill “processes 1,000 tons of municipal solid waste daily”, according to the website of operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions.

“We don’t know what caused the collapse. It wasn’t raining at all,” said Marge Parcotello, a civilian staff member of the police department in Consolacion, a town that shares a common boundary with the dump site.

“Many of the victims are from Consolacion,” the AFP news agency quoted her as saying.

More than 200 people were killed in July 2000 when an avalanche of rubbish consumed a Manila shanty town populated by several thousand scavengers.

The tragedy, the worst of its kind in Philippine history, prompted public outrage over open landfills. Legislation aimed at better regulation of waste management was passed months later.