Angeles City building collapse death toll rises to 28

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Central Luzon confirmed that the death toll from the collapsed building in Angeles City, Pampanga has risen to 28 as of Saturday.

In an update, authorities said one more individual was successfully extricated from the rubble at 9:56 p.m. during ongoing search, rescue, and retrieval operations.

On Wednesday, responders reported that around 30 percent of the debris at the site had already been cleared, with teams and heavy equipment still deployed despite intermittent rain.

The nine-story building under construction collapsed before dawn on May 24.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) earlier said there were possible violations of occupational safety and health standards at the construction site.

The project had previously been issued a work stoppage order by DOLE Region 3 due to safety deficiencies.

Lawyers for the building owner and contractor appeared at a press conference a week after the incident. One of them said the owner is willing to assist the victims and is seeking an independent investigation into the collapse.—MCG, GMA News