Search operations continue in the Philippines following the tragic collapse of a massive garbage landslide at a landfill in Cebu, reports BILD.
According to the latest data, at least eight people have died as a result of the incident, while around 28 people are reported missing. Rescue operations have been ongoing for two days, and the chances of finding survivors diminish with each passing hour.
The mayor of Cebu City, Nestor Archival, confirmed that the work is still underway. Most of the victims were workers at the landfill, near which makeshift homes were located.
Among those rescued is at least one person. 31-year-old Jailord Antigua, an office worker, was in the administrative building during the garbage collapse and managed to escape on his own.
“I saw light and crawled towards it, fearing further collapses. It was terrifying. I thought it was the end, and now I feel like I have a second life,” Antigua told the Associated Press.
The causes of this tragic event have not yet been determined. Preliminary investigations suggest that prolonged rainfall may have acted as a catalyst for the incident: due to heavy precipitation, the soil at the landfill became saturated, leading to the loss of stability of the multi-meter layer of waste.
