source: reuters
Rescuers pulled two people from the rubble of a collapsed building under construction in the Philippines, bringing the death toll to three, officials said on Monday, as crews continued search and rescue operations after overnight scans detected signs of life beneath the debris.
One of the two victims had a pulse when he was retrieved, but later died, Maria Leah Sajili, information officer at the regional Bureau of Fire Protection, said in a phone interview, while another suffered cardiac arrest while still trapped.
Officials said an investigation is now underway into what caused the collapse of the multi-storey building in the city of Angeles, north of the capital, Manila.
Rescuers were also working to retrieve another body buried under the debris, Sajili said, but it would only be added to the official toll once it has been recovered.
Sajili said there could be more victims trapped, after thermal scans detected signs of breathing and heartbeats beneath the rubble.
The number of missing stood at 17, most of them construction workers listed as being on duty at the site, Sajili said.
Among those who died was a 65-year-old Malaysian national whose body was recovered on Sunday from a neighbouring hotel building that had also been affected by the collapse.
