MANILA, Jan 15 — Search and rescue operations are continuing in the central Philippine city of Cebu, a week after a landfill collapsed on Thursday (January 8), killing at least 25 people and leaving 11 others still missing.
Xinhua reported Cebu City Councillor Dave Tumulak as saying that rescuers have not officially shifted to a retrieval-only phase despite the passage of time and the difficult conditions at the site, out of respect for the families of the missing.
"Most families are still hoping their relatives are alive, and we are also praying for miracles as the search for survivors continues," he said in a radio interview today.
The incident occurred at a privately operated landfill in the city late in the afternoon of January 8, when a massive mound of garbage collapsed, burying a facility and many workers.
As of tonight, the city's Fire Protection Bureau confirmed 25 fatalities, while 11 individuals remain unaccounted for. The authorities earlier reported that 18 injured workers were rescued in the first few days after the collapse.
Rescue teams, including firefighters, the Coast Guard, and military personnel, continue to face hazardous conditions at the site, including unstable ground, methane gas buildup, and narrow tunnels beneath tonnes of compacted waste.
In response to the disaster, the Cebu City Council declared a state of calamity, enabling the release of emergency funds to support search-and-rescue operations and address the resulting waste-disposal crisis.
Meanwhile, the Environment and Natural Resources Department has issued an immediate cease-and-desist order against the landfill operator, citing possible lapses in monitoring and safety protocols.
Families of the missing workers continue to hold vigil at the site, hoping and praying for positive news.
