The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.
The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.
Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.
"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.
Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.
Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.
"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.
Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight
China and the European Union (EU) have agreed that it is necessary to provide general guidance on price undertakings for Chinese exporters of passenger battery electric vehicles to the EU, China's commerce ministry said on Monday.
The move aims to address relevant concerns in a more practical, targeted, and consistent manner with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, according to the Ministry of Commerce in a statement.
Accordingly, the European Commission will issue a Guidance Document on Submission of Price Undertaking Offers. In the document, the EU confirms that it will assess each undertaking application under the same legal criteria, in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination and relevant WTO rules, in an objective and fair manner.
The progress fully reflects the spirit of dialogue and the outcomes of consultations between China and the EU. It shows that both China and the EU have the ability and willingness to properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation within the framework of WTO rules, thereby maintaining the stability of automotive industrial and supply chains in China, the EU, and the whole world. This is conducive not only to ensuring the healthy development of China-EU economic and trade relations, but also to safeguarding the rules-based international trade order, the statement said.
On the same day, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) also issued a statement welcoming the positive outcome of the consultations.
The CCCME noted that eligible Chinese EV makers may now submit price undertaking applications in accordance with the EU's guidance, and the European Commission has pledged to review all applications objectively, fairly, and under uniform standards.
The proper settlement of this case meets the shared expectations of industries along the EV supply chain in both China and Europe. It will help ensure the security and stability of related industrial and supply chains and safeguard the broader China-EU economic and trade relationship, the CCCME said.
The chamber expressed appreciation for the substantial efforts made by China's Ministry of Commerce in defending the interests of the domestic industry. It also pledged to encourage and support relevant Chinese enterprises in making full use of the consultation outcomes to protect their interests in exporting to the EU and promote healthy cooperation between the industries of both sides.
China, EU agree on price undertaking guidance for Chinese electric vehicle exporters: commerce ministry
