Cebu landfill collapse blamed on structural, environmental factors
CEBU CITY—Structural and environmental factors likely contributed to Thursday’s tragic collapse of a mound of garbage that has killed at least two people and buried or trapped 36 others in a landfill in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City, an official said on Friday.
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said the pileup of garbage in Binaliw has far exceeded safety limits and prolonged heavy rainfall may have weakened the stability of the garbage mound, as accumulated trash tends to absorb water like a sponge.
“Even mountains made of soil and rocks can experience landslides. What more a mountain of garbage,” said Garganera, chair of the city council’s environment committee.
He noted that waste absorbs water, softens when mixed with soil cover, and becomes unstable over time especially when piled too high.
He likened the pileup in Binaliw to the already-closed landfill in Inayawan, which stood only about five stories high.
Garbage crisis
“This one is even taller than the (24-story) Marco Polo Hotel. It’s extremely high. When our garbage trucks go up there, they look like ants,” Garganera said, adding that engineering design and waste management practices of the private contractor should now be closely examined.
He also said temporary waste disposal sites are being identified in coordination with nearby local government units as Cebu City, which generates some 600 tons of waste daily, faces a garbage crisis.
“Cebu City is in a real crisis. This requires cooperation from everyone,” Garganera said.
As of 4:30 p.m. on Friday, the Cebu City Fire Department of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported two fatalities with the retrieval of a male cadaver at the site. The other fatality is a 22-year-old woman.
Authorities are still searching for 36 people who are officially listed as missing. According to Mayor Nestor Archival, 31 are employees of Prime Waste Solutions (PWS), a waste and recycling consulting company, and five are workers of its contractor.
Rumbling sound
PWS, a subsidiary of Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc., took over the operations of the Binaliw landfill in 2022, making it capable of processing up to 1,000 tons of waste daily.
Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old PWS worker, was doing his usual tasks inside the office when he heard a rumbling sound. Before he knew it, he was knocked down as the building was struck by a mountain of garbage that collapsed nearby around 4 p.m. on Thursday.
“The incident happened so suddenly. I really tried to get out. I saw a light, so I crawled hurriedly toward it and made the effort to quickly escape because I was afraid that (the building) might collapse again,” recalled Antigua, speaking in Bisaya.
According to Antigua, there were many of them inside the PWS office, particularly at the billing department where he is assigned, and everyone ran in different directions when the tragedy happened.
“They were screaming. I couldn’t see my coworkers anymore. Everything happened so suddenly. Until now, I am still traumatized,” he added.
On Thursday, rescuers were able to retrieve to safety 12 victims; seven of them admitted at Visayas Medical Center and five at North General Hospital.
3-day timeframe
According to Archival, up to 500 rescuers from different government agencies, such as the BFP, police, Army, and volunteer groups have been deployed to the area to speed up the search and rescue operations.
Archival said rescuers are working within a three-day timeframe for the rescue operations. “Today (Friday) and tomorrow, we are still hoping that they (victims) are alive,” he told families and relatives of victims who went to the area.
Archival said rescuers could hear sounds and see the victims, but they were constrained against rushing the removal of fallen debris, especially steel materials, as doing so could further endanger those trapped inside. He said the debris is being cleared carefully so as not to cause further collapse.
“The moment we move the falling debris, they could be crushed. We understand that you are hurt and grieving, but this is what we see as necessary so that the people will not be harmed further or trapped even more,” Archival explained in Bisaya.
In a statement on Thursday, PWS said the safety and well-being of its employees, contractors, and nearby communities remain its top priority, vowing to work closely with authorities to provide assistance and support to those affected by the incident.
The company added that operations at the facility have been suspended and urged the public to avoid the affected area. —WITH A REPORT FROM LEO UDTOHAN
