4 Dead, 17 Missing after under-construction Hotel collapses in Philippines
At least 4 people have died and 17 others, mostly construction workers, remain missing after a nine-storey hotel under construction collapsed in Angeles City in the Philippines, officials said.
Rescue teams pulled out three people from the massive rubble on Monday, but two were declared dead while another died despite emergency efforts to revive him. Officials later confirmed that one unidentified body recovered from the debris was not included in the original missing persons list.
The collapse occurred in Angeles City in Pampanga province after a strong thunderstorm, reducing the unfinished hotel structure to piles of concrete slabs, twisted iron rods and collapsed scaffolding.
Among the dead was also a Malaysian tourist who was trapped inside a nearby budget inn partially struck by debris from the collapsing structure. Another guest managed to escape with injuries.
Authorities said 26 workers either escaped or were rescued from the site shortly after the incident. Many labourers were reportedly sleeping on the ground floor of the under-construction building when it collapsed.
Rescue operations are continuing cautiously due to unstable concrete slabs hanging precariously over the debris. Emergency teams have been using heavy equipment along with manual rescue efforts to search for survivors.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin said authorities are still treating the operation as a rescue mission rather than shifting entirely to body retrieval efforts.
Philippine police have launched an investigation into the incident, including possible violations of building safety and construction regulations.
The collapse has triggered concern among families of missing workers gathered near the site, anxiously awaiting updates from rescuers.
