ANGELES CITY, Philippines — Rescuers have pulled two more people from the rubble of a collapsed building under construction in the northern Philippines, raising the confirmed death toll to three as emergency crews continue a difficult search for missing workers.
The multistorey building collapsed before dawn on Sunday in Angeles City, north of Manila, trapping construction workers under concrete slabs, steel bars and debris. Officials said 17 people remained missing on Monday, most of them workers listed as being on duty at the site. Thermal scans had detected signs of breathing and heartbeats beneath the rubble, giving rescuers hope that some people may still be alive.
Maria Leah Sajili, an information officer at the Bureau of Fire Protection, said one of the two victims recovered from the rubble still had a pulse when rescuers reached him but later died. Another suffered cardiac arrest while still trapped. Crews were also trying to retrieve another body buried under debris, but officials said it would be added to the formal death toll only after recovery.
Authorities said an investigation is under way to determine what caused the collapse. Preliminary findings showed the structure had been permitted as a nine-storey condo-hotel, but an unauthorised 10th floor was reportedly under construction for a swimming pool. Officials were still trying to locate the building owner and confirm how many people were at the site when the structure gave way.
Up to 70 people were employed at the construction site, though most had reportedly gone home for the weekend. Some workers were sleeping in nearby barracks when the building collapsed.
The rescue operation has been slow and dangerous. Sajili said crews were working mostly by hand because sudden movement in the debris could crush trapped victims or endanger rescuers. Heavy equipment would be brought in only if officials determine there are no more survivors.
Families waiting near the site have grown increasingly anxious. Alfredo Albis, 55, said two of his cousins were still trapped under the rubble. “They were working here to earn for their families and they are missing,” he told AFP.
Another relative, Lea Casilao, said she travelled from Manila after learning that her husband, a construction worker, may be trapped. “My youngest child keeps asking, but I do not have answers,” she said.
The collapse has renewed concerns about construction safety and enforcement in rapidly growing Philippine cities. For now, officials say the priority remains finding survivors before the operation shifts fully to recovery.
