SEARCH and rescue personnel wearing protective gear conduct a search and retrieval operation at the collapsed building in Angeles City, Pampanga on Wednesday.
PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of Angeles City PIO
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The death toll from a collapsed building in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City rose to 27 on Wednesday as rescue teams braved heavy rains on the 11th day of recovery operations.
Fire Superintendent Maria Leah Sejili, spokesperson for the Bureau of Fire Protection Region 3, said the latest victim was retrieved at 7:10 p.m. despite a relentless downpour.
The day’s first recovery occurred at 7:21 a.m. when workers extricated the 22nd victim from the structure’s “Quadrant 2.” Teams pulled the 23rd and 24th victims from the same area later that morning.
The recoveries followed a grim Tuesday when retrieval teams pulled eight bodies from the site, including an infant and a dog, bringing the previous day’s total to 21.
Unidentified bodies have been transferred to the City Health Office and Scene of the Crime Operatives for disaster victim identification procedures before notifying next of kin.
Emergency crews are using heavy machinery around the clock to clear debris and open safe access routes into the building.
Spotters remain deployed at ground zero to monitor the movement of the machinery, protecting potential victim locations and ensuring the safety of rescue personnel.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and assured the public that round-the-clock retrieval operations will continue until the entire site is cleared.
Meanwhile, legal representatives for the property owner and the contractor spoke publicly regarding the disaster.
At a press conference at City Hall, Willie Rivera, legal counsel for property owner Ernest Jackson Lim, pledged full cooperation with a fact-finding committee established by the mayor’s office. Rivera said his client plans to run a parallel probe to support the local government’s investigation.
“To everyone affected, we will not turn our backs and we will answer for everything required to help ease the sadness and damage caused by this tragedy,” Rivera said.
Nicolai Manguerra, the legal counsel for the project contractor, Golden Years Construction and Steelworks, also promised assistance for those affected. Manguerra clarified that company representatives were near the scene hours after the collapse but avoided the immediate site out of concern they might be mobbed as emotions ran high.
Manguerra defended the structural integrity of the project, stating that the company’s engineer denied using substandard materials.
