MANILA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- At least four people have been confirmed dead as search and rescue operations continued Saturday for the remaining missing people after a landfill in the central Philippine city of Cebu collapsed late Thursday afternoon, the city mayor said Saturday.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor 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 again as rescuers work to locate those still missing.
Archival said the instability of the ground and the risk of acetylene have made search-and-rescue operations extremely dangerous, forcing teams to proceed with caution.
"Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation," said Archival, stressing the need to deploy a more advanced crane at the site.
Firefighters, police, and volunteer rescuers continued operations using heavy equipment and manual digging. However, efforts have been intermittently halted due to safety concerns, officials said.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse and are assessing the safety of nearby communities. ■
