Building collapse in Philippines kills three, 17 missing | Story

Rescuers search for survivors after thermal imaging shows signs of breathing and a heartbeat under the debris.

Rescuers have pulled two people from the wreckage of a collapsed building under construction in the Philippines, which left three people dead, officials said, as crews continued search and rescue operations at the site.

One of the two people suffered a shock when they were pulled out, but later died, while the other suffered a heart attack after being trapped, Maria Leah Sajili, an information officer at the Bureau of Fire Protection, said in a telephone interview with the Reuters news agency on Monday.

Officials say an investigation is underway into what caused the building to collapse in the city of Angeles, north of the capital Manila.

Rescuers are also trying to pick up another body that was buried under the debris, Sajili said, but they will be added to the group as soon as they are found.

Sajili said there could be more people trapped, after the heating machine detected signs of breathing and heartbeat under the debris.

The number of those missing has reached 17, most of them construction workers who were hired to work at the site, Sajili said.

Officials said more than 70 people were employed at the construction site, although many went home for the weekend.

Alfredo Albis, 55, told AFP he was sleeping in a staff house about 5 meters (16 feet) from where it left off.

“I have two cousins ​​who are still trapped there. They work here to earn money for their families and (they) have disappeared,” he said, adding that “there is a possibility that my relatives will die”.

Sajili, the spokesperson of the fire office, said “rescuing (a) building collapse is very difficult, because the sudden change caused by the movements of our rescuers can cause areas and the people on the ground can be crushed”.

The emergency move “can also put our responders”, he said, explaining why this part of the operation must be done manually.

If there are no more survivors, excavators and other heavy equipment will be brought in to clear the debris and remove the bodies, he said, but did not give a timeline.

The cause of the fall is unknown.

The mayor of Angeles City, Carmelo Lazatin, told reporters that authorities are trying to contact the owner of the building to find answers, including clarity on the number of workers at the site.

Families are growing impatient and frustrated with the progress of search and rescue operations.

Lea Casilao, who came from Manila, said she just wanted to be informed of her husband’s condition, a construction worker believed to be trapped under the rubble.

“My youngest son keeps asking, but I don’t have any answers,” the 47-year-old said.