The death toll from the landslide at the Binaliw Landfill has climbed to six as search and rescue teams continue retrieving workers trapped under tons of garbage and debris. Report from Bureau of Fire Protection Central Visayas on Sunday, January 11, said that 31 employees remain missing while 12 have been rescued alive and another 12 are injured.
The collapse occurred at around 4:17 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, at the privately operated landfill run by Prime Waste Solutions. A massive slide of accumulated waste buried portions of the management building, staff offices, and housing areas. Several employees were reportedly inside the management building when the structure gave way, trapping them under heavy debris. Methane gas trapped beneath the mound and the unstable terrain have slowed rescue efforts, as the use of cutting and grinding equipment could spark fires or suffocation. Rescue teams are proceeding cautiously while using backhoes and other machinery to clear the debris. Officials have emphasized that the continuous movement of the garbage mound makes the site hazardous, limiting the ability to deploy heavy equipment too aggressively.
Provincial and city authorities have mobilized 56 personnel to the site, including members of the City Civil Fire Service, Search and Rescue Forces, Emergency Medical Services, FAIT, Motorpool, and Community Search and Rescue units. Responders work with fire and rescue trucks, an ambulance, and a lighting tower to continue operations around the clock. Consolacion Mayor Nene Alegado confirmed that many of the missing workers come from her municipality, particularly Barangays Panoypoy and Polog. She personally visited the site shortly after the landslide and deployed local rescue and medical teams to assist with ongoing operations.
Meanwhile, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano emphasized the city’s temporary measures to maintain waste collection amid the landfill disruption, including a temporary transfer station in Barangay Umapad, which operates under a scheduled system to manage incoming garbage from city barangays.
Biodegradable waste is sent to the Mandaue Green Learning Park for composting, while recyclables are delivered to the Guun facility in Consolacion.
