Coordinated response ongoing at collapsed landfill

MANILA, Philippines — Coordinated response operations are ongoing at a landfill facility in Cebu City where a mountain of trash collapsed last week, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

As of yesterday, the death toll in the incident had risen to 11, with 25 others still missing.

The Cebu City disaster risk reduction and management office said that the body of a 50-year-old woman was among those recently retrieved from the rubble of a materials recovery facility and staffhouses destroyed by the cascading garbage.

The DILG said the city government is leading the search and rescue operation with the help of members of the Bureau of Fire Protection and police.

“Despite challenging conditions posed by unstable debris and twisted metal, the search operation continued with strict adherence to safety protocols,” the DILG said in a statement.

Police handle security on the ground and ensure proper tagging and identification of bodies retrieved from the rubble, the agency said.