Pampanga building collapse deaths climb to 29 - BFP Central Luzon

The death toll in the Angeles City, Pampanga building that collapsed last May 24 has went up to 29 on Monday night, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Central Luzon said.

In a Facebook post, the BFP Central Luzon said the remains of a victim was recovered from the rubble at 9:37 p.m. of June 8.

Before this, the last extraction of a victim was on Saturday, June 6 at 9:56 p.m. during ongoing search, rescue, and retrieval operations.

Previously, authorities said around 30% of the debris at the collapse site in Barangay Balibago have been cleared and that teams and heavy equipment are still deployed amid intermittent rains.

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

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

The project was the subject of a previous work stoppage order issued 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. The owner is willing to assist the victims and is seeking an independent investigation into the collapse. — JMA, GMA News