Angeles City building collapse death toll now 4

The number of fatalities in the collapse of a building under construction in Angeles City, Pampanga has increased to four as another body was retrieved Monday morning, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Central Luzon said.

“As of 10:30 a.m., rescuers have retrieved another victim from the collapsed 9-storey structure in Balibago, Angeles City, bringing the total number of casualties to four,” BFP Central Luzon said.

Earlier at 7:20 a.m., the third body was retrieved from the rubble.

A total of 17 people were still missing.

BFP Central Luzon spokesperson Fire Superintendent Maria Leah Saijili said responders continued manual clearing and operations due to the unstable condition of the debris.

Heavy equipment remained on standby but could not yet be fully deployed because interconnected steel components raised the risk of further collapse if debris was moved improperly.

Authorities were also conducting repeated thermal scans and deploying canine units to detect possible signs of life beneath the rubble.

Saijili said rescue efforts would continue if signs of life were detected. Otherwise, responders would shift to retrieval operations.

Nearby residents had been evacuated as a precaution against a possible further collapse.

The Malaysian embassy was coordinating with local authorities regarding a foreign national who died in the incident.

The building owner has reportedly established communication with the local government.

The nine-story building being constructed in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City collapsed before dawn on Sunday.

The Philippine National Police on Monday said it is helping in the investigation to determine the cause of the incident and possible violations of building regulations. —KG, GMA News