Residents in the central Philippine city of Cebu recalled the spooky moment when a landfill collapsed on Thursday, killing one person and injuring several others.
"When I went out and looked around, the building was already submerged in trash. When I went down, there were already many people shouting for help. Before, they used to put the trash piles in a rice-terrace-style, like steps, so if they collapsed, the garbage would not fall all at once. But now they just keep dumping everything from the top," said Junel Arcilla, a Cebu resident.
"When I went out and looked behind the house, the trash had already been swept away. The metal sheets had collapsed, and something exploded. Some structures were broken. There were people bleeding and asking for help," said Cristy Arcilla, another resident who was at the site when the landfill collapsed.
"I crawled and crawled until I found a way out. When I finally emerged, my companions saw me. It was fighting spirit, for my children and my family. I survived and was not trapped. I crawled until I saw the light," said Jaylord Antigua, who survived the collapse.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a social media post that more than 100 workers were at the landfill when the structure gave way on Thursday afternoon.
At least four people have been confirmed dead as search and rescue operations continued on Saturday for those still missing.
Archival said in a social media post that 12 injured individuals have been extricated from the debris and rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
Local officials warned that the death toll could rise further as rescuers worked to locate those still missing, while the mayor said unstable ground conditions and the risk of acetylene have made search-and-rescue operations extremely dangerous, forcing teams to proceed with caution.
Residents recall horrific moments in Philippines landfill collapse as rescue efforts continue
