At least three people have died and 17 others remain missing after a nine-storey hotel under construction collapsed in Angeles City, Philippines, following a fierce thunderstorm over the weekend. The victims include two construction workers who were pulled from the rubble on Monday, one of whom died shortly after being extricated, and a Malaysian tourist who was trapped in a nearby budget inn hit by debris.
Rescue efforts continue
Hundreds of rescuers, led by firefighters and police, have been working tirelessly to extricate workers trapped under concrete slabs and iron bars. Emergency personnel struggled to revive one unresponsive worker at the scene before eventually giving up. Another worker was given water and medicine intravenously in a desperate attempt to keep him alive in the scorching heat, but he did not survive.
Angeles City mayor Carmelo Lazatin stated that rescue operations have not yet shifted to body retrieval, expressing hope that more people could be rescued alive. “We do not want to give the families of the trapped workers any bad news,” he said.
Anxiety among families
Relatives of the missing workers are growing increasingly anxious. Lea Mendoza Casilao, 47, whose boyfriend is a mason trapped in the rubble, said she is losing hope due to the slow pace of the rescue. She had brought a week's supply of rice and sardines for him, but the building collapsed before they could meet.
Mayor Lazatin noted that rescuers are moving cautiously because huge concrete slabs are hanging precariously from tangled aluminium scaffoldings, posing a risk of further collapse.
Investigation launched
National police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident and possible violations of safety and building regulations. At least 26 workers had managed to escape or were rescued from the building, where they slept on plywood on the ground floor. Authorities have located one of the 17 missing workers but have not yet extricated him.
Background of Angeles City
Angeles City once hosted Clark Air Base, one of the largest US air force bases outside America, which turned the area into an entertainment and commercial hub. The base closed in the early 1990s and became the Clark Freeport Zone, a bustling industrial and tourism enclave. The area still retains remnants of red-light districts, bars, nightclubs, and budget hotels that flourished during the base's active years.
