River Turned Trash Wave: Manila Faces Rubbish Flood

Sun Sep 06 2026 04:08:40 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A nine‑day storm turned Manila’s river into a trash river, prompting workers to wade through piles of rubbish to clean up the flood.

Heavy rains in Manila have pushed a massive amount of garbage into the Pasig River, creating a tidal wave of rubbish that workers are now struggling to clean. The nine‑day downpour delivered a rainfall volume equivalent to over a month’s worth of water, shutting schools and government offices across Luzon and flooding the capital. Rescue operations have reported at least 16 deaths in the northern Philippines caused by floods, landslides and storm‑related accidents. Cleanup crews are working day and night to sift through the debris and restore the river’s flow, while environmental experts warn that such pollution could threaten local ecosystems if left unchecked.

Watch the tide of rubbish hitting Manila’s river

Workers in Manila are wading through a river that has become a trash river after nine days of fierce downpours that poured more rain in a single stretch than many places get in an entire month.

The deluge forced schools and government offices to shut down across Luzon’s main island and flooded parts of the capital, putting extra strain on an already vulnerable waterway.

Rescue teams reported that the storm‑driven floods, landslides and accidents have killed at least 16 people in northern Philippines, highlighting the deadly cost of the disaster.

Cleanup crews are working tirelessly to sift through the debris—plastic bottles, bags and other waste—to keep the river flowing again.

The incident is a reminder of how climate‑driven weather can bring local pollution to the forefront and underscores the need for stronger waste management and community resilience.