Two individuals were killed and five others injured when a warehouse under construction collapsed at the boundary of Bustos and Pandi, Bulacan, at around 3:45 p.m. on Friday, July 4. The facility was reportedly intended for toy storage.
The Pandi Police Station identified the fatalities as alias “Allan,” whose body was recovered during retrieval operations, and alias “Norman,” 23, of Taytay, Rizal.
The five injured workers were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment.
Police said they received a call from a concerned citizen reporting the incident that occurred in Barangay Bagbaguin, Pandi.
Responding units from the police, the Bureau of Fire Protection in Pandi and Bustos, and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office immediately proceeded to the site.
Investigators learned that prior to the incident, workers noticed the second-floor slab beginning to sag due to the weight of freshly poured cement.
One of the workers attempted to reinforce the structure by welding support bars, but the scaffolding gave way, leading to the collapse.
As of this writing, retrieval operations were ongoing for a worker believed trapped beneath the rubble.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the collapse. (Freddie Velez)
