By Marita Moaje | Philippine News Agency
The city government of Cebu clings to hope as signs of life have been detected under the trash slide in Binaliw sanitary landfill, even as the death toll has risen to 11.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. said the province is still in search and rescue mode, five days after the landfill collapsed on Jan. 8.
“Yesterday, there was this Apex mining. Mayroon silang equipment na nagpakita mayroon pa na signs of life, so kaya nga although 72 hours nang nag-lapse,” he said in a media interview.
Archival said rescuers are still looking for the 25 missing persons, adding that 18 are being treated in hospitals.
He said rescue operations are being done carefully and in stages, under extremely hazardous conditions, as rescuers are wary of another possible landslide.
The collapsed structure, a sorting area or the materials recovery facility (MRF), is made of steel and is interconnected, raising concerns that moving one section could further trap victims underneath, he added.
Archival acknowledged appeals from families to expedite operations but explained that safety concerns have slowed the pace.
He added bigger equipment just arrived days ago, limiting initial efforts to smaller equipment to reduce the risk of further collapse.
A formal investigation into the cause of the incident has yet to start, but Archival said initial assessments point to the recent natural events, such as the earthquake in September and Typhoon Tino in November, that may have contributed to ground movement and soil saturation.
He said that while weather conditions were fair on the day of the collapse, officials believe recent calamities may have weakened the site’s foundation.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday issued a cease-and-desist order against Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, Inc., the operator of the collapsed landfill.
The DENR promised a thorough, impartial, and evidence-based investigation to determine the causes of the incident, the responsibilities and accountabilities of the relevant parties, and the changes needed moving forward.
