April 19, 2013
MANILA (AFP) - Four people were missing after a huge garbage dump collapsed just outside the Philippine capital on Friday, the provincial police chief said.
The four maintenance men who work on the dump site in the town of Rodriguez could not be found after the rubbish pile collapsed, said civil defence spokesman Fred Bragas.
Officials had initially hoped that the four had simply gone home before the accident but their relatives confirmed they could not be accounted for following the huge avalanche of garbage, he said.
Although rescue teams were dispatched to the area, the darkness and soft ground made it too dangerous to continue the search at night, he added.
"The employees were conducting clearing operations for draining water in the area. This may have contributed to the accident," Bragas said.
The trash slide may have happened because the pile of garbage had risen too high, he said.
