Death toll in Philippine landfill collapse climbs to 36

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - The death toll from a recent landfill collapse in the Philippines has risen to 36 as the body of the last missing person was recovered, officials said on Sunday.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, a member of the disaster response committee, said the final body was retrieved early this morning, bringing search operations at the site to an end.

The accident occurred on Jan. 8 at a privately operated landfill facility in Cebu city, in the Central Visayas region, where workers were present at the time of the collapse. Friday was observed as a day of mourning for the victims, and a state of calamity was declared.

The city's bureau of fire protection said all individuals have been fully accounted for. In a statement on Facebook, the agency said responding teams completed systematic search, rescue, and retrieval operations, ensuring that no further missing persons remain.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families affected and our utmost respect to all responders who worked tirelessly under challenging conditions to bring closure to this incident," the statement said.