At least 21 missing after 9-story building under construction collapses near Manila, Philippines

A nine-story building under construction collapsed before sunrise in Angeles City, north of the Philippine capital, Manila, leaving at least 21 people missing by Sunday morning, officials reported.

Authorities said rescue teams could hear voices coming from beneath the debris, raising hopes that more survivors could still be found. At the time of the initial reports, 24 workers had either escaped on their own or been pulled from the wreckage.

The collapse happened after a powerful thunderstorm struck Angeles City in Pampanga province. More than 100 police officers and emergency personnel were deployed to search for people believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure.

Officials at the site said there were no immediate confirmed deaths in the early stages of the rescue operation, although several of those rescued had sustained injuries. Francis Pangilinan, head of Angeles City’s disaster mitigation office, said most of the missing individuals were believed to be construction workers. Officials also said debris from the collapse injured two other people, including a Malaysian tourist, after nearby lodgings were struck.

Firefighters, police officers and disaster-response teams worked carefully through the unstable rubble, using their hands and sniffer dogs to search for survivors among broken concrete, twisted metal and other debris. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said rescuers had detected possible signs of life and were proceeding with extreme caution because of the dangerous condition of the site.