Four Dead, 17 Missing After Building Collapse in Angeles

A nine-storey building under construction collapsed in Angeles, north of Manila, on Sunday, killing four people and leaving 17 others missing, authorities said Monday. Rescuers retrieved three bodies from the rubble on Monday. One victim had a pulse when pulled out but later died, while another suffered cardiac arrest while still trapped, Maria Leah Sajili, an information officer at the Bureau of Fire Protection, said in a phone interview.

The fourth fatality was a Malaysian tourist killed when debris from the collapse struck a nearby budget inn. Another guest at the inn escaped with injuries.

At least 26 people have been rescued from the site.

Officials said up to 70 workers were employed at the construction site, though most had left for the weekend. Alfredo Albis, 55, told AFP he was asleep in a workers' barracks about five metres from the structure when it gave way. He said two of his cousins remain missing.

Rescue teams are using thermal detectors to locate signs of life beneath the debris. If no further survivors are found, crews will switch to heavy equipment to clear rubble and recover bodies.

Sajili said rescue work is difficult because any sudden movement can shift debris and crush people trapped underneath. She added that sudden shifts can also endanger responders. " — Maria Leah Sajili, Bureau of Fire Protection information officer, May 25, 2026 (Reuters) Angeles Mayor Carmelo Lazatin told reporters that authorities are trying to locate the building owner to determine the exact number of workers at the site.

Lea Casilao, 47, travelled from Manila to seek updates on her husband, a construction worker believed trapped under the rubble. She said her youngest child keeps asking for information she does not have. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.