‘Hoping for miracle’

CEBU, Philippines — As the death toll from the Binaliw landslide climbed to six with 30 persons still missing, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council chairman, City Councilor Dave Tumulak, expressed hope for miracles amid ongoing rescue operations for workers at the buried structure of the Prime Integrated Waste Solutions facility in Barangay Binaliw, this city.

Tumulak revised the number of missing individuals from an initial count of 31 to 30, after confirming that one employee was on day-off and was not in the building, during the landslide. A total of 12 people are currently receiving medical care in hospitals for injuries from the gruesome incident.

The incident occurred when a section of the waste containment structure gave way following heavy rainfall, triggering a massive slide of compacted garbage and debris that buried workers and equipment at the facility, which serves as a key waste management site for surrounding communities.

The collapse happened while the site was operational, with personnel performing routine sorting and maintenance tasks.

Rescuers retrieved two more bodies in separate operations, at 1:08 a.m. and 6:10 a.m. yesterday – identified as Jane, 39, and Armi, 43, both females. One of them was trapped under a large metal beam, while the other was inside a sorting machine. They join four other fatalities earlier confirmed in the wake of the disaster.

 The conveyor structure where traces of one victim were found required careful handling, as shifting debris posed risks of trapping rescue personnel underneath.

 "Negative (for additional individuals found) ... Giputol pa namo mga tag-as nga haligi ... para masulod ang ground zero," a source on the ground told The Freeman.

Teams are carrying out beam-cutting work using oxy-acetylene equipment to clear heavy steel support structures blocking access to the collapse site.

 Operations are proceeding with caution due to methane and carbon gas emissions from decomposing waste.

Once beams and metal posts are removed, heavy-duty cranes will be deployed to lift debris and enable further retrieval efforts.

"We believe in miracles. Every time we retrieve a body, responders grieve for the loss of life, but they are overjoyed when they find someone alive and when they can enter and exit the rubble safely," Tumulak stated, emphasizing the emotional investment of rescue personnel in the mission.

Search and rescue efforts continue round-the-clock with all available resources being utilized to locate those unaccounted for. (CEBU NEWS)