At least 39 people have been killed or are missing following the collapse of a massive garbage mound at a landfill site in the Cebu City, authorities in the Philippines confirmed on Friday.
Officials said one woman was confirmed dead, while 38 others remain missing after a mountain of waste suddenly collapsed at the Pinalio landfill, located in the central part of the country. The incident buried several individuals who were believed to be near or inside the waste site at the time of the collapse.
Rescue teams managed to pull 12 injured people from beneath the debris and transported them to hospital for medical treatment. Emergency crews continue to conduct search and rescue operations amid difficult conditions caused by unstable waste layers and the risk of further collapses.
The cause of the incident has not yet been determined, and authorities said investigations are ongoing to establish what led to the sudden failure of the garbage mound.
In a statement posted on social media, Nestor Archival, the mayor of Cebu City, said all emergency and rescue teams are making every possible effort to locate those still missing. He stressed that operations would continue until all victims are accounted for.
The disaster has raised renewed concerns over landfill safety and waste management practices, particularly in densely populated urban areas where informal activity often takes place near disposal sites.
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