Workers trapped as building under construction collapses in Angeles City

This is a developing story. We will update as more information comes in.

MANILA, Philippines – A nine-story building under construction in Angeles City, Pampanga, collapsed early Sunday, May 24, trapping people beneath the rubble.

The incident occurred along Teodoro Street in Barangay Balibago around 3 am, according to a Facebook post by the Angeles City Information Office.

As of 8 am, the Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said rescuers had pulled at least 24 people from the collapsed structure, along with two individuals from a nearby building affected by the incident.

Authorities have yet to determine the exact number of people trapped, though initial reports said at least 30 to 40 individuals were inside the building when it collapsed.

The city government has since activated the Unified Command System to manage the response efforts.

Search and rescue operations were still ongoing as of posting, and are being carried out by personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, city responders, and the Philippine National Police.

Akbayan Party called on national and local authorities to sustain rescue operations despite the dangers at the site. The group also urged a thorough investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the collapse and help prevent similar accidents in the future.

“No worker should ever have to put their life on the line just to earn a living,” Akbayan President Rafaela David said.

“Those responsible must be held accountable, and stronger protections must be put in place to ensure that every Filipino worker can come home safely to their families,” she added. – Rappler.com