Signs of life have been detected by rescuers searching for more than 30 people missing after an avalanche of rubbish that left four workers dead at a landfill site in the central Philippines.
Twelve injured staff have been pulled out of the debris after a huge mound of refuse collapsed at a waste management facility in the village of Binaliw in Cebu City on Thursday, authorities said, and rescue efforts will now be increased.
Dozens of rescuers, including police, firefighters and disaster responders have braved dangerous conditions to scour the rubble of twisted tin roofs, iron bars, and combustible heaps of debris in their hunt for 36 people who are still unaccounted for.
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Cebu City mayor Nestor Archival said detected signs of life had been confirmed “in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation”.
A more advanced 50-tonne crane is being brought to the site, he said.
The safety of rescue teams “remains paramount”, he said, pointing to dangers posed by “unstable debris and acetylene risks, prompting adjustments to the security perimeter and controlled access”.
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An engineer and a female office worker were among the four who died, who were all employees of the landfill and waste management facility whose staff numbered 110, according to the mayor and police.
Initially, it was reported that two people had died, with 36 missing, but on Saturday, Mr Archival increased the number of dead to four, but did not provide an updated number of people missing.
It’s not clear what caused the collapse of the rubbish mountain, but the Associated Press, quoting a survivor, said it happened in an instant without any warning despite fairly good weather at the time.
Local media outlet Philstar pointed to heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Tino and an earthquake last year, which left the ground unstable.
Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the landfill, said the wall of refuse destroyed the administrative office he was in.
He suffered bruises on his face and arms after crawling in darkness through rubble and debris to escape.
“I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry, because I feared there will be more landslides,” Mr Antigua said.
“It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.”
Mr Archival said preparations are being made to “manage the looming garbage collection issue” in Cebu, a bustling port city of nearly a million people that serves as a regional hub for trade, commerce and tourism.
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Such landfills and open dump sites 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.
More than 200 people died and many more were declared missing after a huge rubbish mound in a shantytown in Quezon City near the capital, Manila, collapsed in 2000.
