Desperate Search Continues for Missing Workers at Cebu Landfill Collapse

Sat Jan 31 2026 19:21:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Rescue efforts intensify in the Philippines as officials search for over 30 workers missing after a devastating landfill collapse in Cebu City. Signs of life have been detected, raising hopes among anxious families.

Rescue teams are working around the clock to locate over 30 workers believed missing after a landfill collapse in Cebu City, Philippines. With four confirmed dead and a challenging recovery environment, authorities continue their search, hoping for survivors. The incident, attributed to poor waste management practices, has left many families anxiously awaiting news.

Rescue workers are racing to find dozens of people still missing following a landslide at a landfill site in the central Philippines that occurred earlier this week, an official has said.

Mayor Nestor Archival stated that signs of life had been detected at the site in Cebu City, two days after the incident, which has seen four confirmed fatalities and 12 others hospitalized.

Conditions for emergency services working at the site are challenging, with unstable debris complicating the rescue mission. Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation and the deployment of a more advanced 50-ton crane, Archival informed through a Facebook post.

The privately-owned Binaliw landfill collapsed on Thursday while about 110 workers were present. Reports indicate that over 30 of these workers are still unaccounted for, prompting families to await news with bated breath.

Cebu City councillor Dave Tumulak expressed the urgency of the situation, stating, We are just hoping that we can get someone alive... We are racing against time, that's why our deployment is 24/7.

The cause of the collapse remains under investigation, but initial comments from officials suggest it may have stemmed from poor waste management practices at the site.

Jerahmey Espinoza, whose husband is among the missing, conveyed her hope to Reuters, saying, They haven't seen him or located him ever since the disaster happened. We're still hopeful that he's alive.