Philippines Building Disaster: Death Toll Rises to 3 as Search Continues for Missing Workers

Rescue teams in the Philippines have recovered two more victims from the rubble of a collapsed building under construction, raising the death toll to three as emergency crews continue searching for survivors trapped beneath the debris.

Authorities said one of the victims was found alive with a pulse but later died, while another reportedly suffered cardiac arrest before rescuers could free him from the wreckage.

The multistorey structure collapsed in Angeles City, north of Manila, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving firefighters and emergency responders.

According to Maria Leah Sajili, an information officer with the Bureau of Fire Protection, thermal scanning equipment detected signs of breathing and heartbeats beneath the rubble, raising hopes that more survivors may still be trapped.

Officials said at least 17 people remain missing, most of them construction workers believed to have been on duty when the building gave way.

Investigators have launched a probe into the cause of the collapse, while rescue operations continue under difficult and dangerous conditions.

“Rescue operations in building collapses are extremely challenging because any sudden movement can shift debris and further endanger those trapped underneath,” Sajili said.

Authorities noted that about 70 workers were employed at the site, although many had already left for the weekend before the incident occurred.

One survivor, 55-year-old Alfredo Albis, said he was sleeping in a nearby workers’ barracks when the structure suddenly collapsed.

“I have two cousins still trapped there. They came here to work and support their families, and now they are missing,” he said, fearing they may not have survived.