Two people trapped when a building collapsed in the Philippines are alive and communicating with rescuers, an official has said.
A nine-storey building under construction collapsed in Angeles City, north of the Philippine capital Manila, early Sunday morning local time.
“They are in constant communication,” Jay Pelayo, an information officer for Angeles City told Reuters.
“We are awaiting more details, but our rescuers are doing their best to pull the survivors out of the rubble.”
Twenty-four people have been rescued since the collapse and no deaths have been reported, Mr Pelayo said.
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.
It remains unclear how many people were still feared trapped, with a site engineer saying 19 people had been working at the site, Mr Pelayo said.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Search operations are underway for people feared trapped in the rubble. (Facebook: Angeles City Information Office)
It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse, but the city engineer would review the construction history, he said.
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 nine-storey building was under construction before it collapsed. (Facebook: Angeles City Information Office)
“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
