Dozens missing after landfill collapse in Philippines

An avalanche of garbage and debris has buried or trapped workers in low-slung buildings at a landfill in the Philippines, killing one person, injuring a dozen and leaving 38 others missing.

Dozens of rescuers retrieved 13 people alive overnight and were searching for the missing still trapped after the mountain of garbage, earth and debris collapsed on them on Thursday afternoon in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, officials and police said.

Landfill workers were among those affected, but it is not clear if there were neighboring residents or others involved as well.

One of those rescued, a female landfill worker, died while being brought to a hospital, regional police director Brigadier General Roderick Maranan told The Associated Press, adding the rest survived with injuries and were hospitalised.

Search and rescue efforts were continuing for 38 missing, Cebu Mayor Nestor Archival and the Office of Civil Defence said on Friday.

"All response teams remain fully engaged in search and retrieval efforts to locate the remaining missing persons with strict adherence to safety protocols," Archival said in a statement posted on Facebook.

"The city government assures the public and the families of those affected that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure safety, transparency, accountability and compassionate assistance as operations continue."

Pictures released by authorities showed rescuers with earthmoving equipment scouring a building devastated by the massive slide with its twisted tin roofs and iron beams.

Relatives waited in anguish as the search and rescue proceeded.

Authorities and officials at the waste management facility, which has 110 employees, were to hold an emergency meeting Friday, Archival said.

One of the buildings hit by the wall of garbage that cascaded down in the landfill was a warehouse where workers separated recyclable waste and rubbish, Maranan said, adding that it remained unclear if nearby houses were also affected.

Such landfills and open dump sites have long been a source of safety and health concerns in many cities and towns in the Philippines, especially in areas close to poor communities, where residents scavenge for junk and leftover food in the garbage heaps.