Over 20 trapped in collapsed building

MORE THAN 20 people are trapped under the rubble of a building under construction in the Philippines that collapsed on Sunday, officials said, as rescue efforts continued.

Five people were confirmed trapped, including two in contact with rescuers, and 18 more were feared under the rubble, officials said.

“We have five confirmed trapped victims, and we have a figure of 18 workers from the list of construction workers on duty today, but no feedback yet from their families. This brings the estimated number of trapped victims to 23 as of today,” Maria Leah Sajili, information officer at the regional Bureau of Fire Protection, told a press briefing.

At the site of the collapsed multi-storey building under construction in the city of Angeles, north of the capital Manila, rescuers were seen clambering over a mound of concrete slabs and mangled steel, covered in green netting, searching for survivors.

The number of rescued, including those in the vicinity, remained at 24, with no deaths reported, Ms. Sajili said.

Among the rescued was a 51-year-old Malaysian national who was staying in a nearby budget hotel, which was damaged when the concrete structure collapsed, Jay Pelayo, the Angeles city information officer, told Reuters in a phone interview.

He had earlier told DZBB radio 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 10^th floor for a pool was being constructed. 

Ambulances were on standby, and fire trucks had been deployed to assist in the rescue, Pelayo said, adding that moving the concrete debris was a challenge for rescuers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) deployed a technical team to assist in determining the cause of the collapse.

In a statement on Sunday, Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said the agency has also deployed trucks and cranes to help with help with the rescue operations.

“The DPWH is ready to assist once the BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) said these trucks are ready to be mobilized,” he said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose and Reuters