Angeles City (HRNW)- At least three people have died and 17 are missing after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in the Philippines. Rescue teams are continuing search operations to rescue those buried under the rubble.
According to foreign news agencies, this tragic incident occurred in Angeles City, north of the capital Manila, where a building under construction suddenly collapsed.
Rescue officials say that so far two people have been pulled from the rubble, but one of them died later, while the other died of a heart attack under the rubble.
According to Maria Leah Sajili, a spokeswoman for the Fire Protection Bureau, thermal scanners have found signs of breathing and heartbeats under the rubble, which raises fears that more people may be buried alive.
According to officials, most of the missing are construction workers who were on duty at the time of the accident. It is reported that about 70 people worked at the construction site in total, but most of the workers had gone home for the weekend.
55-year-old worker Alfredo Albis said that he was sleeping in the workers’ accommodation a few meters away from the building when he suddenly heard a loud sound of the building collapsing. According to him, two of his cousins are still buried under the rubble.
Rescue officials say that rescue operations after the building collapse are extremely dangerous and complicated because even the slightest movement can cause more debris to fall, which can put both the trapped people and the rescue workers at risk. For this reason, most of the rescue work is being done manually in the initial stages.
Officials said that if no more survivors are found, heavy machinery and excavators will be used later to remove the debris.
The causes of the incident are not yet known, while the local government has launched an investigation to determine the reasons behind the building collapse.
Support independent journalism and help HRNW continue delivering timely and accurate news coverage.
Donate here: HRNW Donation Appeal
