Courtesy: Jacq Hernandez
A STATE of calamity has been declared in Cebu City following the Binaliw landfill collapse, where the death toll has tragically risen to 16. The Cebu City Council approved the declaration on Tuesday, January 13, to facilitate emergency response efforts and expedite access to crucial disaster funds.
The council also designated Friday, January 16, as a city-wide day of mourning to honor the victims of the devastating incident at the Prime Waste Solutions Cebu facility in Barangay Binaliw.
As recovery operations continue, the latest fatality, a 33-year-old male, was recovered at 5:20 p.m. Rescue teams are still actively searching for 25 individuals who remain missing, while 18 injured victims are receiving medical treatment in hospitals. The initial response to the collapse was hampered by a shortage of ambulances, with some victims being transported by private means.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, who heads the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing, albeit at a “low-intensity level” following the detection of possible signs of life beneath the debris by heavy equipment. “We remain in the stage of search and rescue,” Tumulak affirmed.
In the wake of the disaster, the Cebu City Council has approved the release of ₱30 million from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.
This allocation is intended to bolster emergency response efforts and address the disruption to garbage disposal services resulting from the closure of the Binaliw facility. Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has confirmed that Prime Waste Solutions Cebu has pledged to provide support to the injured victims and the families of those who lost their lives in the collapse.
