The death toll from a landslide at a material recovery facility (MRF) in Barangay Binaliw in Cebu City has risen to eight, with 28 still missing and 12 others are still recovering from injuries in the hospitals , according to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

In a radio interview on Monday, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. said a formal investigation into the incident has yet to commence.

He, however, said the city government is already examining the major possible cause of the deadly landslide.

He said the facility, operated by Prime Solutions, sits on a 20-hectare site that includes a 3-hectare landfill.

The landslide struck the building used for sorting, offices and a cluster home.

Archival said the city government suspects that heavy rainfall caused garbage piles on a slope to saturate and destabilize, triggering the collapse.

“During the time na nag-landslide yun, walang, ang weather, maganda ang weather. So by that, 4 o'clock yan, that was the time na nag-landslide. So, ang suspetsa ko or sa ibang mga kasama namin during sa meetings, parang na-alter yung ground, parang yung east ground niya. Baka nagmayroong certain movement (During the time of the landslide, the weather was good. So by that, at 4 o'clock, that was the time of the landslide. So, my suspicion and that of some of our colleagues during the meetings is that the ground was altered, like the east ground. Maybe there was a certain movement),” he said.

He said the earthquake hit the area in September and a series of typhoons may be among the factors that triggered the landfill collapse.

“So yung ulan, yung kita mo yung garbage, kung ma-imagine mo parang sponge yan eh. So yung ulan, malakas yung punta doon, and then we're suspecting na nag-percolate papunta sa ilalim. So nag-alta yung area going down (So the rain, you see the garbage, if you can imagine it, it's like a sponge. So the rain was heavy there, and we suspect it percolated down into the ground. So the area went up going down),” Archival explained.

He said the landfill is now closed, and the city is coordinating with nearby facilities and transfer stations to manage waste collection while rescue and retrieval operations continue.

He said the city government is now focused on the rescue operation of those still trapped, as 28 remain missing.

“Right now, we are focusing on the rescue sa mga tao na nasa ilalim (of those still trapped), and today we will be deciding if we are going to go to the next mode, which is retrieval,” he said.