01/12/2026, 07:1201/12/2026, 07:12
After the massive garbage avalanche in the Philippines with dozens missing, the death toll has risen to eight. At least 28 other people are still missing, confirmed Nestor Archival, the mayor of Cebu City, where the accident occurred on Thursday. The city is located around 560 kilometers south of the capital Manila. Last week, large amounts of garbage in a landfill buried a recycling plant and several houses. Previously, days of continuous rain had softened the ground on the site.
The majority of those buried were employees of the landfill and recycling plant.Image: keystone
The emergency services searched for signs of life in the waste masses using a crane, among other things, said Archival. «We are still in rescue mode. We still hope we can find survivors.”
The majority of those buried were employees of the landfill and recycling plant. However, several simple residential buildings were also partially buried. According to Archival, 18 people have been taken to hospitals with various injuries so far.
Serious accident in 2000
The Philippines, a huge island nation with more than 117 million inhabitants, has been struggling with massive waste disposal problems for years. Open landfills are considered a risk, particularly in poorer residential areas. In July 2000, after days of heavy rain, a huge mountain of garbage began to slide in a slum in Quezon City in the Manila area. More than 200 people were killed and many more missing people were never found. (sda/dpa)
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