Philippines ends rescue efforts for 16 missing after building collapse
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- Emergency officials in northern Philippines have ended a two-day rescue operation after a nine-storey building under construction collapsed, resulting in at least four deaths and 16 people missing.
- The collapsed condominium project fell onto a nearby hotel in Angeles city, north of Manila, with recovery efforts now focused on retrieving victims' remains.
- Rescuers initially detected signs of life under the rubble, but hopes faded after the last survivors were found dead, and thermal sensors later indicated possible false positives from animals.
- Authorities confirmed one of the originally missing 17 people was not at the site during the collapse, and around 70 workers were employed at the construction site, most of whom had gone home for the weekend.
- Families of the missing workers expressed grief and despair as debris clearing continues, with loved ones unable to contact those trapped in the collapse.