MANILA, May 24 (Reuters) – Two people feared trapped after a building collapse in the Philippines were alive and communicating with rescuers on Sunday, an official said, as rescue efforts continued.
“They are in constant communication. We are awaiting more details, but our rescuers are doing their best to pull the survivors out of the rubble,” Jay Pelayo, information officer Angeles City north of the capital Manila, told Reuters.
The number rescued in the collapse of the nine-storey building under construction, including those in the vicinity, has risen to 24, with no deaths reported, Pelayo said in a phone interview. Among the rescued was a 51-year-old Malaysian national who was staying in a nearby budget hotel, which was damaged when the concrete structure collapsed.
It was unclear how many were still feared trapped, with a site engineer saying 19 people had been working at the site, Pelayo said. “We are trying to determine whether all 19 were there.”
He had told DZBB radio that 30 to 40 people were feared trapped, based on information from a site foreman who was among those who escaped.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse, but the city engineer was reviewing the construction history, Pelayo said, adding that moving the concrete debris was a challenge for rescuers.
Images shared by DZBB showed the building reduced to a heap of concrete and twisted metal, covered in green netting. Ambulances were on standby and heavy equipment on its way to assist in the rescue, Pelayo said.
(Reporting by Karen Lema and Eloisa Lopez; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and William Mallard)
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