Philippines Building Collapse: Voices Heard Beneath Rubble Amid Illegal Construction Probe

Rescue teams in the Philippines continued a desperate search operation on Sunday after a nine-storey building under construction collapsed in Angeles City, trapping workers beneath massive piles of concrete and twisted steel while authorities investigated allegations of illegal construction violations.

The unfinished condo-hotel structure collapsed around 3 am local time during heavy rain and thunderstorms in Pampanga province, about 80 kilometres north of Manila. Officials said 24 people have been rescued , including injured workers and a 51-year-old Malaysian national staying at a nearby budget hotel damaged by falling debris. No deaths had been officially confirmed as of Sunday evening.

Authorities now estimate that 23 people remain missing , based on worker attendance records and verification from families gathered anxiously near the disaster site. Rescue personnel said they were hearing voices and cries for help beneath the rubble, while at least two trapped workers were confirmed alive and communicating with rescuers.

More than 100 emergency responders , including firefighters, police officers and disaster-response teams, were deployed alongside sniffer dogs, heartbeat detectors, listening devices and rescue spreaders. Officials said the site remains extremely unstable, forcing crews to avoid heavy machinery in some areas to prevent further collapse. Public Works Secretary Vinzon Dizon said rescuers were moving cautiously across shattered concrete slabs and mangled steel bars because “there are signs of life.”

Investigators revealed the project had permits for a nine-storey building, but an unauthorised 10th floor with a planned swimming pool was allegedly under construction. Authorities are now examining possible structural flaws, permit violations and whether the severe storm weakened the structure before it pancaked onto nearby buildings. Witnesses described hearing a loud crash “like an earthquake” moments before the collapse.