Latest news Garbage avalanche in the Philippines: Death toll rises
Following the massive waste avalanche in the Philippines with dozens of people missing, the death toll has risen to eight. At least 28 more people are still missing, confirmed Nestor Archival, the mayor of Cebu City, where the disaster occurred on Thursday. The city is located around 560 kilometers south of the capital Manila. Last week, large quantities of garbage at a landfill site buried a recycling plant and several houses. Prior to this, days of continuous rain had softened the ground on the site.
12.01.2026, 07:32
SDA
The emergency services used a crane, among other things, to search for signs of life in the masses of waste, said Archival. "We are still in rescue mode. We are still hoping to find survivors."
Most of those trapped are employees of the landfill and the recycling plant. However, several simple residential buildings were also partially buried. According to Archival, 18 people have so far been taken to hospital with various injuries.
Major disaster back 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, especially in poorer residential areas. In July 2000, after days of heavy rainfall in a poor district of Quezon City in the greater Manila area, a huge mountain of garbage started to slide. More than 200 people lost their lives and many more were never found.
