ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II said rescuers continue to hear voices and sounds from beneath the rubble of a collapsed nine-storey building, raising hopes that survivors remain trapped but alive.

The structure collapsed sideways around 3 a.m. Sunday, with debris crashing into nearby properties, including two hotels. Authorities said part of an adjacent building sustained heavy damage.

Lazatin said rescue operations remain delicate because of the unstable condition of the collapsed structure, with concrete slabs, steel beams, and scaffolding still at risk of shifting.

“If we move too fast or dig without caution, debris could shift and collapse further — endangering both our responders and the people trapped below,” Lazatin told reporters.

Initial accounts from workers and site personnel indicated that more than 40 people were in or around the construction site before the collapse. Authorities estimate that around 22 individuals remain unaccounted for, although Lazatin stressed that the figure is still subject to verification due to the absence of attendance records.

More than 20 individuals have either escaped or been rescued, including the building foreman and several workers who managed to get out immediately after the collapse. A Malaysian national staying at a nearby hotel was also among those who escaped.

At least five people sustained minor injuries and received medical treatment.

According to survivors, workers staying near the first-floor septic tank area may have survived because that portion of the structure shifted sideways instead of being crushed directly.

Two construction workers have already been pulled out alive as rescue teams from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and other agencies continue round-the-clock operations.

Heavy equipment remains on standby and will only be deployed once authorities determine it is safe for both trapped individuals and rescuers.

Operations are being conducted under a Unified Command System led by Lazatin, with assistance from the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.