Overview:
A deadly building collapse in the Philippines has left at least one person dead and 21 others feared trapped beneath rubble in Angeles City, north of Manila. Rescue teams continue searching through concrete and twisted steel as officials race against time to reach survivors and investigate the cause of the disaster.
In short:
(ABC-Australia) At least one person has died and twenty-one people are missing after a building collapsed in the Philippines.
A nine-story building under construction in Manila collapsed on Sunday morning, local time.
What’s next?
Officials say rescuers are in contact with two of those trapped, with the operation ongoing.
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At least one person has been confirmed dead after a building under construction collapsed in the Philippines, authorities say, as rescuers continue to scour the rubble for 21 people listed as missing.
A nine-storey building under construction collapsed in Angeles City, north of the Philippine capital Manila,early Sunday morning local time.
Rescuers at the scene could be seen clambering over a mound of concrete slabs and mangled steel as they searched for survivors. They used trained rescue dogs, heartbeat detection devices and heavy equipment to sift through the debris.
Authorities said the person confirmed to have died was a 65-year-old Malaysian national whose body had been recovered from a neighbouring building — a hotel — that had also been affected by the collapse.
Maria Leah Sajili, information officer at the regional Bureau of Fire Protection, told a press briefing that among the 21 people reported missing, five people were confirmed trapped.
Two of the five were communicating with rescuers, but the status of the others was not immediately clear.
Rescue efforts were continuing, but Ms Sajili warned that operations would become more challenging after dark.
Cause of collapse under investigation
Among those rescued was a 51-year-old Malaysian national who was staying in a nearby budget hotel, which was damaged when the concrete structure collapsed.
He had earlier told the Manila-based DZBB radio station that 30 to 40 people were feared trapped, based on information from a site foreman who was among those who escaped.
Officials said the cause of the collapse is under investigation, but records showed the building was intended as a nine-storey condo-hotel under the approved permit, but a 10th floor for a pool was being constructed.
Mr Pelayo also said rescue efforts could be challenging as the structure was made of concrete, making it difficult to move debris.
Photos shared by the Angeles City Information Office showed the building reduced to a heap of concrete and twisted metal, covered in green netting.
“The assessment is not yet finished. The unified command system is still working on it, and it is too early to determine the cause of the collapse, which is still being evaluated,” Mr Pelayo said.
“Powerlines were hit and were now being secured. We are calling on residents in the area to cooperate with authorities so rescue operations for those trapped are not delayed, and no-one else is put at risk,” he said.
Reuters
