Rescuers have pulled two more people from the rubble of a building that collapsed during construction in the Philippines, bringing the death toll to three. Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation at the scene continues, officials said. This was reported by Al Jazeera, according to UNN.
Details
One of the two victims showed signs of life when pulled from the debris but died shortly thereafter. The other suffered cardiac arrest while still under the rubble, Maria Lea Sahili, a representative of the Bureau of Fire Protection, told Reuters in a phone comment on Monday.
Officials stated that an investigation is currently underway into the cause of the collapse of the multi-story building in Angeles City, north of the capital, Manila.
Rescuers are also working to recover another body buried under the debris, Sahili said. However, it will only be included in the official death toll statistics after extraction.
According to Sahili, other people may still remain under the rubble, as thermal imaging cameras have detected signs of breathing and heartbeats.
The number of missing persons stands at 17, most of whom are construction workers reported to have been on shift during the incident.
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Officials reported that up to 70 people worked at the construction site, but most had gone home for the weekend.
Fire service spokesperson Sahili noted that "rescue operations during a building collapse are extremely difficult, as any sudden movement caused by rescuers' actions could cause structures to shift and crush people under the rubble."
According to her, sudden movements "could also bury the rescuers themselves," so this stage of the operation must be carried out primarily by hand.
If no more survivors are found, excavators and other heavy machinery will be brought in to clear the debris and search for bodies, though no timeline for the completion of the operation has been given yet.
The cause of the collapse is currently unknown.
Recall
In the city of Angeles, a nine-story unfinished building collapsed during a thunderstorm. About 30 people may be under the rubble, and a rescue operation is ongoing.