BINALIW LANDSLIDE: Death toll hits 2, 35 remain missing

Local

THE death toll from the landslide at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City has risen to two, while at least 35 workers remain missing as of late Friday afternoon.

This has prompted city authorities to intensify round-the-clock search and rescue operations.

Based on the Cebu City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) situation report as of 4:48 p.m. on January 9, the incident occurred at the Prime Waste Solutions Cebu landfill in Barangay Binaliw at around 4:28 p.m. on Jan. 8.

Search and rescue operations at the site remain ongoing.

The BFP reported that 67 individuals were initially trapped by the landslide. Of these, 12 have been successfully extricated and transported to nearby hospitals—five men and seven women—while two fatalities have been confirmed.

Thirty-five individuals are still unaccounted for.

A total of 109 BFP personnel, 19 ambulances, and 242 local government rescuers and volunteers are currently deployed at the site. The incident command post has been activated.

In a press conference on Friday, Mayor Nestor Archival ordered the intensification of search and rescue efforts, stressing the urgency of locating those still missing.

“We are hoping nga before that date makuha na nato ang 34 kabuok nga mga taw nga naa pa sa sulod,” Archival said, referring to the target timeline for recovery operations.

City data, however, placed the number of missing at 35 as of the latest official sitrep.

Archival said around 550 volunteer and organic rescuers are now involved in the operation, with an additional 300 to 400 personnel expected to augment the teams.

Rescuers have been organized into four sections—A, B, C, and D—each assigned to specific portions of the landfill to ensure a more systematic and faster search.

Search, rescue, and retrieval operations are being conducted 24 hours a day and are set to continue until Jan. 11.

Meanwhile, Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairperson of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the Department of the Interior and Local Government and other partner agencies have activated the Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM) protocol at the site.

On the updated death toll, Tumulak, also a member of the Management of the Dead and the Missing team, said the victim was a 25-year-old engineer. The body was retrieved at 4:35 p.m. by the CCDRRMO team.

Moreover, Archival said the city government has established a coordinated information system for the families of affected workers.

Designated focal persons from the Cebu City Public Information Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and Prime Waste Solutions are tasked with relaying verified updates to families.

Each section head at the site is required to submit hourly reports to the PIO, which will consolidate and release confirmed information to prevent misinformation and ensure timely updates.

The mayor added that discussions are ongoing with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other agencies to provide immediate assistance and possible livelihood support to the victims' families while rescue operations continue.

Authorities said that in the event of additional casualties, police Scene of the Crime Operatives will handle the identification process before any remains are released to funeral service providers.

Rescue and retrieval efforts remain underway as authorities continue searching through the collapsed landfill in hopes of locating the missing workers.(TGP)