Search-and-rescue operations at a collapsed landfill in the Philippines were ended on Monday January 19, 2026 after the last missing worker was recovered, pushing the death toll to 36. Cebu City officials said the last body was retrieved shortly after dawn on 18 January, 10 days after a large section of the Binaliw landfill gave way. The dumpsite, located in a mountainous area outside the city, had been the focus of a round-the-clock operation involving hundreds of responders.

Initial findings from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, cited by local media, pointed to weeks of sustained rain that, combined with structural factors, could have weighed down the rubbish… The mound of waste acted likely “like a sponge” after heavy rainfall brought by a typhoon in November 2026, although other possible causes such as seismic activity were previously considered.

Excerpt from Philippine city ends recovery work after deadly landfill collapse kills 36, The Independent, Jan. 19, 2026