Building Collapse in Angeles City
At least one person has died and approximately 20 individuals are feared trapped beneath the debris of a building that collapsed early Sunday in Angeles City, near Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
A search and rescue operation has successfully extracted 24 people from the collapsed building site and two from a nearby hotel impacted by falling debris.
The nine-storey structure was still under construction when it suddenly gave way at around 03:00 local time on Sunday (19:00 GMT on Saturday). Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.
Many of those believed to be trapped are construction workers who were unable to evacuate before the building fell.
Casualty and Rescue Efforts
Later on Sunday, local officials confirmed the identity of the deceased as a 65-year-old Malaysian man who had reportedly been staying in the hotel adjacent to the collapsed building.
Philippine fire chief Rico Kwan Tiu informed AFP that the man had been able to communicate with rescuers by phone while trapped under a hotel wall.
"When we retrieved him... he was already lifeless,"
he said.
Photographs from the scene depicted a tangled mass of scaffolding and concrete extending onto the street, draped in green safety netting.
City information officer Jay Pelayo described the situation to AFP, noting that the building's walls and scaffolding had buckled, likely trapping individuals within the debris.
"There are big chunks of concrete, and we need equipment to lift them up,"
"That is what's challenging for the rescue right now."
According to , five people have been confirmed trapped, with two able to communicate with rescue teams. However, more individuals are feared to remain under the rubble.
Eyewitness Account and Location Details
An eyewitness interviewed by the Daily Tribune reported hearing a loud rumbling moments before the collapse. She briefly lost consciousness and upon awakening, saw debris covering two streets.
Angeles City is located approximately 90 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Manila on Luzon, the Philippines' largest and most populous island.
Context on Construction Safety in the Philippines
Research indicates that construction projects in the Philippines often face challenges such as inadequate planning, poor project management, and design flaws.
Earlier this year, a landfill collapse in Cebu resulted in the deaths of 11 waste workers, with others rescued from beneath the waste.
