17 Missing;Death Toll Rises To Four In Philippines Building Collapse

The death toll from the collapse of a nine-storey building under construction in the Philippines has risen to four, while 17 people are still missing as rescue teams continue searching through the rubble in Angeles City, north of Manila.

Authorities said most of the missing are construction workers who were sleeping inside the unfinished hotel building when it collapsed early Sunday after severe thunderstorms. Rescue crews have managed to pull at least 26 people from the site alive so far.

One of the victims was a Malaysian tourist staying at a nearby budget inn that was struck by falling debris when the structure came down. Emergency teams are using K9 dogs, thermal scanners, heartbeat detectors, and manual digging because unstable concrete slabs and twisted steel make heavy machinery dangerous to use.

Officials said the building had previously faced safety concerns. Labor inspectors reportedly halted construction in 2024 over violations including missing safety gear and unsafe working conditions before work later resumed after compliance measures were introduced.

Police and local authorities have opened an investigation into possible violations of building and construction regulations, including reports that an unapproved tenth-floor swimming pool was being added to the project.

One of the victims had a pulse when he was retrieved but later died while another suffered cardiac arrest while still trapped, Maria Leah Sajili, an information officer at the Bureau of Fire Protection, said in a phone interview.

Crews pulled the body of another person from the rubble, but it was not immediately clear if the unidentified body belonged to a person listed among the missing, rescuers said in an updated toll.

Sajili said: “Rescue in [a] building collapse is very challenging since any sudden shift triggered by the movements of our rescuers can cause areas to move and people under can get crushed.”

Sudden movements “may also bury our responders”, she said, explaining why this phase of the operation has to be done mostly manually.

If no more survivors are found, mechanical diggers and other heavy equipment will be brought in to clear debris and recover bodies, she said, but gave no timeline.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.

Angeles Mayor Carmelo Lazatin told reporters that authorities were trying to locate the building owner to get answers, including clarity on the number of workers at the site.