Deadly Garbage Mountain Collapse Leaves 1 Dead, 34 Missing in ‘End of the World’ Scene

A towering heap of garbage — as high as a four-story building — collapsed without warning at a landfill in Cebu City, Philippines, killing one worker and leaving dozens more missing in what officials are calling one of the region’s worst waste-site disasters in years.

The collapse happened Thursday afternoon, around 4:17 p.m., as more than 100 people were working across the vast Binaliw landfill complex. Survivors say the two-acre garbage mound suddenly shifted, triggering a violent landslide of debris, methane pockets, and mud.

“It felt like the ground exploded,” said landfill office worker Jaylord Antigua, 31, who escaped by crawling under shattered beams. “I saw a light and crawled toward it because I thought another slide was coming. I honestly believed that was my end.”

Local authorities confirmed Friday that one worker, a 22-year-old woman, died while being rushed to the hospital. As of the mayor’s most recent update, 34 people remain unaccounted for. Twelve survivors are now hospitalized with crush injuries, fractures, and respiratory problems.

Mayor Nestor Archival described the scene as “a nightmare of twisted metal, plastic waste, and trapped bodies.” He said more than 500 rescuers and volunteers are now combing through unstable debris fields, but operations have been slow due to the risk of methane ignition.

“One spark from a machine could turn this entire site into a fireball,” Archival said at a press briefing. “We have signs of life under the piles. We just need time.”

Environmental officials say the landfill has been controversial for years. Local residents have accused operators of allowing garbage mounds to grow dangerously tall and unstable. Cebu City’s rapid population boom — now over a million people — has produced towering mountains of waste that the city has struggled to manage.

“The garbage must be four stories high,” said city information officer Jason Morata. “Everyone knew how massive it was. But no one expected it to collapse.”

The collapse happened on a dry day with no rainfall — a detail that has baffled investigators. “We don’t know what caused the failure,” said police staff member Marge Parcotello, whose town borders the landfill. “There was no rain, no shaking. It just fell apart. Many of the missing are our people.”

Workers who managed to escape say the trash mountain buckled instantly, giving them only seconds to react.

“There was a roar, like an aircraft coming down,” Antigua told reporters. “Then the walls of garbage broke, and everything around us turned black.”

His office was flattened. He crawled out through a narrow gap, scraping his face and arms on broken rebar and glass.

“I’m alive because I didn’t stop crawling,” he said. “I’m calling this my second life.”

Rescue crews are now working around the clock, using drones, dogs, and hand tools — but heavy machinery remains limited due to gas pockets beneath the wreckage.

“We’ll be here until we find everyone,” Mayor Archival said. “We owe that to the families.”

He urged the public to pray for those still buried.
“Let’s continue to pray for strength,” he said. “This is far from over.”

Officials have not ruled out equipment failure, landfill mismanagement, or underground gas pressure as possible causes. A full investigation will begin once all victims are recovered.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Cebu City Police Office and the mayor’s office for further comment.