The human cost of the catastrophic collapse at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City continues to climb, with authorities confirming a grim update on Monday, January 12, 2026. The death toll has now risen to eight individuals, while the number of people still missing stands at 28 as large-scale search, rescue, and retrieval efforts press on.
Casualties and Ongoing Medical Response
As of 8:48 a.m. on that Monday, the official count of injured persons validated by authorities reached 18. Of these, a dozen were successfully extracted and rescued directly from the disaster site. An additional six people sought medical treatment afterward for their injuries. All victims are currently receiving necessary medical care, distributed between two healthcare facilities: 11 patients are admitted at North General Hospital and seven are at the VisMed Medical Center.
The bodies of the eight fatalities have been transported to St. Peter Funeral Homes in Imus for proper disposition and identification procedures, a somber task for families and officials.
The Search for the Missing Continues
The focus remains on locating the 28 individuals who are still unaccounted for. Records indicate that 21 of the missing are workers from Prime Waste, the landfill operator, while the remaining seven are from subcontractor companies. Authorities are in continuous coordination with Prime Waste management and the Department of Social Welfare and Services to validate records and provide support to affected families.
Massive Multi-Agency Rescue Operation
Rescue operations are ongoing at full scale, involving a formidable force of 248 personnel deployed to the site. This team represents a unified response from numerous agencies, including:
- The Bureau of Fire Protection
- Philippine National Police
- Philippine Army and Navy
- Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO)
- Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS)
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
- Philippine Coast Guard
- Various local government units
- Private sector partners and volunteers
Substantial heavy equipment and critical resources have been mobilized to support the challenging operation. The deployed assets include 80 ambulances and fire trucks, a backhoe, telehandlers, a dump truck, a prime mover, a manlift, floodlights, and a crane. This brings the total number of deployed resources to 89, underscoring the magnitude of the response to this tragic event.
