At least 18 people are believed to be trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, according to the local government on Tuesday, May 26.
Rescue operations were officially terminated on Monday night after authorities reported no signs of life at the site. Retrieval operations commenced on Tuesday morning.
Bureau of Fire Protection Region 3 spokesperson Maria Leah Sajili stated that thermal sensors picked up signals on Monday morning, but no survivors or bodies were found. Most of the missing are construction workers who were sleeping at the site when the tragedy occurred.
The local government and BFP based the number of missing persons on reports from families searching for their loved ones.
Earlier, the remains of four victims were recovered from the nine-story building. Among them were a Malaysian national and two construction workers, while the identity of the fourth victim is still being determined.
The cause of the incident remains unknown. However, investigators are looking into reports of an illegal 10th floor being constructed for a swimming pool, which may have caused excessive and uncalculated weight on the structure. This additional floor was not part of the original approved building permit from 2023, which only allowed up to nine floors as authorized by the Angeles City government.
