Garbage landslide

[1] This form of landslide has attracted the attention of anthropologists, news media, and politicians as a result of incidents that have severely damaged communities and killed hundreds of people since the 1990s.

People and weather can cause garbage landslides by impacting the weight distribution of mounds in landfills, which are sometimes poorly regulated and open to those seeking recyclables for profit.

[3] Mounds may collapse if they become heavier from rain and disturbances like strong storms can both trigger sliding and start fires if lightning ignites combustible gases from the landfill.

Poor waste management policies of different governments at local and national levels contribute to a lack of regulation enabling irresponsible dumping and hazardous access to landfills.

45 individuals ultimately faced charges for the disaster and 20 public officials who oversaw the creation and management of the Shenzhen landfill later received prison sentences for corruption.