Isko order probe to determine cause of Sogo Hotel collapse.

Four hours too late Rescuers retrieve the body of one of the two workers killed. BOB DUNGO JR.

Manila Police District (MPD) chief Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. yesterday said the Sogo Hotel collapse on Monday in Malate exposed the city’s appalling lack of the necessary equipment to effect the prompt rescue of disaster victims.

Danao said the incident, which saw the hotel being demolished prematurely going down, will serve as an “eye-opener

” as it claimed the lives of two and injured at least one of the construction workers at the site.

He noted that the search, rescue and retrieval operation took more than six hours or four hours past the moment when a drone sighted the two fatalities when they were still alive based on their movement from under concrete slabs.

The victims were given intravenous fluids and blood transfusion as the rescue workers tried to extricate them with the aid of truck lifters from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

The collapse of the structure happened at about 9 a.m. Monday but one of the victims was freed from the debris past 3 p.m.

“This shows the time element factor to be of the essence. That while we are so good in earthquake drills in preparation for the ‘Big One,’ this incident shows that we lack the necessary equipment,” Danao said.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has ordered the city engineer’s office to investigate the collapse to determine its cause or those responsible, if any.

Moreno tasked City Engineer Armando Andres to determine all possible contributory factors that caused the structure’s collapse, including the strength of materials used in the construction such as the steel bars and concrete and whether all applicable laws had been met.

The mayor was among the first responders along with MMDA General manager Jojo Cruz and Danao.

The fatalities were identified as Jerome Fabello and Melo Ison. Ison’s brother Edson was injured by the collapse and was rushed to the Philippine General Hospital.

Out of the 22 construction men, 19 had been secured and found safe.