manila, philippines
AP
—
One person was killed, seven injured and at least 27 people missing after an avalanche caused workers to bury trash at a waste sorting facility in a central Philippine city, police said Friday.
Rescuers rescued eight people alive and were searching for missing people who were still trapped after a huge pile of garbage collapsed in Binariu Village, Cebu City, police said. Some of the victims were landfill workers, but it is unclear whether the victims included non-workers.
One of those rescued, a female landfill worker, died on the way to hospital, regional police chief Brig Brive said. Gen. Roderick Maranan told The Associated Press, adding that the rest survived with injuries.
Citing initial police reports, Maranan said search and rescue operations continued for the 27 missing people.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archive announced Friday that at least 12 people have been rescued and 38 others are missing. It was not immediately clear why there was a discrepancy between the number of missing and rescued people announced by police and archives.
“All response teams remain fully committed to search and rescue operations to locate the remaining missing persons, strictly adhering to safety protocols,” the archive said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Dozens of rescue workers scrambled through the night to find people trapped at the landfill.
“The city government assures the public and the families of those affected that all necessary measures are taken and operations continue to ensure safety, transparency, accountability and compassionate support,” the archive said.
Officials and officials at the waste management facility, which employs 110 people, were scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Friday, Archive said.
One of the low-rise buildings hit by the wall of trash that spilled into the landfill was a warehouse where workers were separating recyclables from garbage, Maranan said, adding it was still unclear whether nearby homes were also affected.
