Philippine landfill collapse death toll hits 8

The collapse of a massive mountain of trash in Cebu City in the Philippines has left 8 people dead, local authorities said Monday, as dozens remained missing, Report informs referring to ABS-CBN News.

The death toll climbed to 8 after two females were pulled from the rubble on Sunday night, based on data from the Cebu City Fire Station.

Rescuers used a crane to reach difficult areas in the site as search operations continued on Monday morning for 28 others who remained missing, said Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the Cebu City Disaster Council.

About 50 sanitation workers were buried on Thursday when the mountain of garbage toppled onto them from an estimated height of 20 storeys at the Binaliw Landfill, a privately operated facility that handles refuse for the city of nearly one million.

"I heard a loud noise and saw that it was very dusty," Junel Arcilla, who documented the incident on this phone, said in Cebuano.

He added that they have been complaining about the landfill for quite some time already.

"We almost cannot breathe because of the foul smell," Arcilla said.