At least four people are confirmed dead and 17 remain missing after a nine-story building under construction collapsed in Angeles City, Pampanga, on May 24. Emergency teams rescued 26 people and deployed 267 personnel to the scene. After advanced life-detection scans found no signs of life, authorities shifted operations from rescue to recovery on May 26. One confirmed fatality was a 65-year-old Malaysian tourist; most of those trapped were construction workers.
Nine-Story Building Collapse in Pampanga: At Least Four Dead, 17 Missing as Rescue Shifts to Recovery
Military personnel with a working dog conduct search and rescue operations at a collapsed building in Angeles CityCredit: Ted ALJIBE / AFP via Getty
At least four people have died and 17 remain missing after a nine-story building under construction collapsed before dawn on May 24 in Angeles City, Pampanga, authorities said. Rescue teams recovered four bodies and pulled 26 people alive from the rubble before shifting operations to recovery after finding no further signs of life.
Incident and Emergency Response
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported that the structure on Teodoro Street collapsed in the early morning hours, prompting a large multi-agency response across Central Luzon. A total of 267 emergency personnel were deployed, including firefighters, search-and-rescue teams and medical responders.
Rescuers walk past the rubble of a collapsed building in Angeles CityCredit: Ted ALJIBE / AFP via Getty
Victims and Survivors
Officials confirmed one of the deceased was a 65-year-old Malaysian tourist who was staying at a nearby hotel and was struck by falling debris. The three other victims have not been publicly identified. Most of those believed to be trapped at the time of the collapse were construction workers.
Rescuers extricated 26 people alive from the wreckage. Authorities initially believed five people had been trapped alive and said two of them were able to communicate with rescuers, but could not be freed immediately due to unstable conditions.
A general view of the rubble of a building after it collapsed, in Angeles, Pampanga Province, PhilippinesCredit: Bureau of Fire Protection / Handout/Anadolu via Getty
Shift From Rescue to Recovery
On May 26 the Philippines' Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) announced that, after final searches with advanced life-detection equipment, teams had detected "no further signs of life" in the debris. The Unified Command System therefore transitioned from active rescue to retrieval and recovery operations, focusing on clearing debris to conduct a safe and dignified recovery of the deceased.
BFP statement: "The focus is now on clearing debris to conduct safe and dignified recovery of the deceased. Protocols for the Management of the Dead and Missing are now in full effect."
Conditions and Ongoing Work
Responders described the collapse site as a "highly unstable and dangerous environment," with victims potentially trapped beneath concrete slabs, steel bars and heavy debris. Advanced life-locator scans were used during final assessments that led to the decision to end active rescue attempts and continue with recovery operations.
Project Details and Next Steps
Planning records cited by Reuters indicate the building was being developed as a condo-hotel and would have included a rooftop (10th-floor) swimming pool. Local authorities and regulatory agencies are expected to investigate the cause of the collapse and review construction permits and safety compliance as recovery operations continue.
Authorities continue to search the site and appeal to anyone with information about missing persons to come forward.
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