(UPDATE) ANGELES CITY, Philippines — The death toll rose to three Monday in the collapse of a building under construction near the Philippine capital, with 17 people still believed missing, authorities said.
Two workers pinned beneath the wreckage were found alive after the nine-storey structure gave way Sunday, hitting a nearby hotel and killing a Malaysian guest.
But the two workers trapped at the site in Angeles, which is north of the capital Manila, died despite rescue efforts.
"The first of the two was pulled out alive, but unfortunately, his body gave out and he did not survive. Doctors could not resuscitate him," regional fire bureau spokeswoman Maria Leah Sajili told AFP.
"The other one suffered a cardiac arrest around 3 a.m. (1900 GMT Sunday). Doctors could not attend to him as he was still pinned down," she added.
Seventeen other people, mostly construction workers who were sleeping at the building site when disaster struck, remained missing, Sajili said.
The cause of the collapse is not known.
Officials said up to 70 people were employed at the construction site, though most had gone home for the weekend.
Alfredo Albis, 55, told AFP he was asleep at a barracks for workers about five meters (16 feet) from the structure when it gave way.
"I have two cousins who are still trapped there. They were working here to earn for their families and (they) are missing," he said, adding "there's a possibility that my relatives are dead."
Sajili, the fire bureau spokeswoman, said that "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 had to be done mostly manually.
Rescuers will now use thermal scanners "to check if there are possible signs of life," she said.
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.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) provided assistance to local authorities as well as emergency response units as it investigated the incident.
In a statement on Monday, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the national police force deployed its search and rescue personnel to support the ongoing response efforts. He also instructed local police to set up a first aid and welfare desk to provide victims with medical and psychosocial support.
“The PNP… will assist in the conduct of the investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the incident in the interest of truth and accountability. But, for now… the focus is on search and rescue operations,” Nartatez said.
“Every second matters in a crisis, and our duty is to act without delay, bringing every available asset to save lives, account for the missing, and support affected families on the ground,” he added.
According to Nartatez, Police Regional Office 3 immediately deployed personnel to assist in rescue and retrieval operations, traffic management, and area security. As of 1:52 p.m. on Sunday, a total of 175 PNP personnel are on the ground working alongside the Bureau of Fire Protection, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and local government units.
According to the PNP, rescue operations remain ongoing amid hazardous conditions caused by unstable debris and live power lines.
The PNP is likewise supporting the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the incident and possible violations of safety and building regulations.
The public is advised to avoid the area to allow unhampered emergency operations.