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Philippines building collapse toll rises to four; 17 missing
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Disasters & Emergencies

Philippines building collapse toll rises to four; 17 missing

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The death toll from a construction building collapse in the Philippines has risen to four, with at least 17 people still missing.
  • Two workers rescued alive later died, and another body was recovered Monday.
  • The project had previously been cited for occupational safety violations, including a lack of safety gear, before construction resumed.

The death toll from a building collapse at a construction site in Angeles, Philippines, has climbed to four, with authorities still searching for at least 17 missing individuals. The nine-story structure collapsed Sunday, impacting a nearby hotel and initially killing a Malaysian guest.

The first of the two was pulled out alive, but unfortunately, his body gave out and he did not survive. Doctors could not resuscitate him.

— Maria Leah SajiliRegional fire bureau spokeswoman Maria Leah Sajili detailing the fate of a rescued worker.

Rescue efforts faced grim challenges. Two workers initially pulled alive from the wreckage succumbed to their injuries. One died after his body gave out despite resuscitation attempts, while the other suffered cardiac arrest while still trapped. A fourth body was recovered Monday, though it remains unclear if this individual was among the missing.

The other one suffered a cardiac arrest around 3:00 am (1900 GMT Sunday). Doctors could not attend to him as he was still pinned down.

— Maria Leah SajiliRegional fire bureau spokeswoman Maria Leah Sajili describing the condition of another trapped worker.

Most of the missing are believed to be construction workers who were sleeping at the site when the disaster struck. Families are anxiously awaiting news, with one woman recounting her difficult wait after bringing supplies to her partner, unaware of the accident.

It's very difficult, it is breaking my heart to wait for something uncertain.

— Lea CasilaoLea Casilao, girlfriend of a missing construction worker, expressing her distress while waiting for news.

Concerns have been raised about safety protocols, as the project had previously been temporarily shut down in September 2024 due to violations of occupational safety standards. These included poor working conditions, a lack of essential safety gear like hardhats and safety belts, inadequate lighting, and missing safety signage. Although construction resumed a month later after the contractor complied with requirements, the cause of the collapse remains unknown. Many workers had left for the weekend, but several remained on site.

Our labor inspectors had monitored poor working conditions, a violation that would put our workers at risk.

— Geraldine PanlilioRegional labor department director Geraldine Panlilio discussing previous safety violations at the construction site.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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