Binaliw landfill collapse: 3 dead, 35 missing

CEBU, Philippines — Rescue teams continue to labor without pause at the Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PIWSI) facility in Barangay Binaliw, this city, where a garbage landslide last Thursday buried dozens of workers beneath tons of debris.

Three fatalities have been confirmed, 12 injured remain hospitalized, and 36 workers are still missing, as of yesterday’s latest validation from PIWSI said City Councilor Dave Tumulak who chairs the City’s City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC).

At about 6:30 p.m. yesterday, the body of the third fatality, a 30-plus year old female, was extricated from the landslide site by members of the Sector D Team, composed of the ERUF, BFP, Mandaue and Danao DRRMs.

The body of the second fatality, identified as a 25 year old engineer, was retrieved at approximately 4:35 p.m. yesterday by personnel of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO). The first fatality was a 22 year old female worker of the facility.

Mayor Nestor Archival, who has been at the site since the incident and yesterday, stressed the dangers of rushing the retrieval process.

“We need to be very slow, why? Di’ man ‘ni parehas sa uban nga kana bitaw’ng birahon nimo take note sa ilawom, soft na siya ... so pag bira nimo, mapiit nuon siya ... so di na pwede nga ing -ana ka dali ... kay ang mga victims didto, mas ma-disgrasya,” he explained.

Rescue operations are scheduled to continue nonstop until tomorrow (January 11), as teams race against time to locate those still missing.

“We are trying to do the best we can. Kahibaw mo ngano, we hear sounds, nakita namo ang mga tawo pero dili namo ma-alsa because kahibaw mi nagsumpay-sumpay ang mga metal. The moment nga among alsahon mapiit sila," said Mayor Archival.

 More than 500 responders have been mobilized, including personnel from CCDRMO, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, other LGUs, and volunteer groups.

Reinforcements from the Philippine Army and equipment support from the Department of Public Works and Highways have also been deployed.

The collapse of the facility’s sorting area had been attributed to heavy rains caused by typhoon Tino and unstable ground following the earthquake last year.

Trapped employees of prime waste beneath debris

Twelve survivors have been rescued and are currently receiving treatment at the Visayas Medical Center and the North General Hospital.

Families of victims, who initially expressed frustration over insufficient updates, have been assured that they will now receive hourly briefings through designated focal persons from the Public Information Office, BFP, and Prime Waste.

Tents and shaded areas have been established to shelter relatives, while discussions with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Prime Waste are underway to provide livelihood support once operations conclude.

Meanwhile, Councilor Joel Garganera suggested declaring a state of emergency, but Mayor Archival, however, maintained that existing coordination with national agencies remains sufficient.

“DSWD, DOLE, and Prime Waste are already working on how to restore the livelihood of the 110 affected employees.”

The Cebu City Police Office, led by Police Colonel George V. Ylanan, conducted an ocular inspection alongside Mayor Archival, Councilor Tumulak, and representatives from DSWD, BFP, and CCDRMO.

Strategies for manpower augmentation, equipment deployment, and inter agency coordination were outlined during the briefing.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, initially scheduled to visit, cancelled after being briefed on the situation.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other agencies have activated the Management of the Dead and the Missing.

“Kon nay makit-an nga casualty, it will be brought to another section, the MDM (Management of the Dead and Missing)..So they will be going to bring them there ... Naa ang SOCO sa police to identify ... Right after the documentation, it will be brought to a funeral parlor ... negotiations are underway,” Mayor Archival said.

Mayor Archival said that accountability inquiries will follow once the immediate priority of saving lives has been completed.

Capitol, consolacion coordinating with Cebu City

Provincial officials have intensified coordination efforts as search and rescue operations continue, with many of the affected workers identified as residents of neighboring Consolacion town.

Consolacion Mayor Nene Alegado confirmed that a significant number of those involved in the incident were from her municipality.

Alegado said that, based on an initial assessment, around 80 percent of the landfill workers were residents of Consolacion, most of them coming from Barangays Panoypoy and Polog.

The mayor personally visited the landslide site in Binaliw shortly after the incident to assess the situation and ensure the safety of residents affected by the dump site collapse.

During her visit, Alegado immediately ordered the deployment of Consolacion’s rescue and medical teams to assist in the ongoing operations in Binaliw.

Alegado emphasized that the local government remains in close coordination with concerned agencies and volunteer groups to ensure that operations at the site run smoothly and that victims receive the necessary support.

"Padayon ang koordinasyon sa lokal nga pangagamhanan uban sa mga concerned agencies mga volunteers aron masiguro ang hapsay nga operasyon ug paghatag sa gikinahanglan nga tabang sa mga biktima," she said.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Provincial Government, through the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), expressed readiness to augment rescue efforts as the operation enters extended hours.

PDRRMO head, retired colonel Dennis Pastor, said the provincial disaster office has been in constant coordination with Cebu City authorities since the landslide occurred.

Following the directive of Governor Baricuatro, Pastor said he has been regularly communicating with Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for updates on the situation at the landfill.

Pastor said PDRRMO has teams on standby alert and is prepared to deploy additional personnel to either augment or relieve responders currently working at the site.

He noted that some of the landfill employees involved in the incident are residents of Consolacion, making provincial and municipal coordination even more crucial.

Pastor said PDRRMO plans to deploy three teams, each composed of seven personnel, but stressed that deployment will be done strategically. “We will be deploying three teams, but we will also manage how we can deploy them. We cannot deploy them all at once,” he said.

He added that arrangements were discussed with Councilor Tumulak to allow the provincial teams to relieve exhausted responders currently on the ground.

The landslide occurred at around 4:08 p.m. at the Binaliw landfill, which is operated by Prime Waste Inc., burying portions of the facility and trapping several employees inside the company’s staff office.(CEBU NEWS)