A significant tragedy unfolded in the village of Binaliw, Cebu City, where a towering pile of garbage collapsed at a waste management facility. This alarming incident left twelve workers injured, as reported by local authorities.

Rescue teams, comprising police, firefighters, and disaster-response units, have been tirelessly combing through the perilous wreckage of twisted metal and combustible debris. Their mission: to find and save additional survivors amidst the chaos.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival shared that “signs of life have been detected in certain areas, necessitating continued, careful excavation.” To aid in this delicate operation, a more robust 50-ton crane is on its way, escorted by police for added security.

Mayor Archival emphasized the importance of responder safety, noting the presence of unstable debris and potential acetylene risks. Consequently, the security perimeter has been adjusted, and access to the site is strictly controlled.

Among the casualties were four employees of the landfill and waste management facility, including an engineer and a female office worker. The facility employs a total of 110 staff members.

Initially, the list of victims on Friday reported two fatalities and 36 individuals unaccounted for. By Saturday, the death toll rose to four, though Mayor Archival did not provide an updated count of those still missing.

The cause of the collapse of the mountain of garbage remains unclear, but a survivor told The Associated Press on Friday that it happened in an instant without any warning despite fairly good weather at the time.

Jaylord Antigua, a 31-year-old office worker at the landfill, said the wall of garbage cascaded down and destroyed the administrative office he was in. He extricated himself with bruises on his face and arms by crawling in darkness in the rubble and debris.

“I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry, because I feared there will be more landslides,” Antigua said.

“It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end, so this is my second life.”

It is unclear how the accident would affect garbage disposal in the landfill in Cebu, a bustling port city of nearly a million people that serves as a regional hub for trade, commerce and tourism.

Preparations “are also underway to manage the looming garbage collection issue,” Archival said in his statement without further details.

Such landfills and open dumpsites 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.

In July 2000, a huge garbage mound in a shantytown in suburban Quezon City, part of metropolitan Manila, collapsed and ignited a fire after days of stormy weather.

The disaster left more than 200 people dead and many more missing, damaged scores of shanties and prompted a law requiring the closure of illegal dump sites nationwide, as well as improved and more sustainable waste management by authorities.