ANGELES CITY – A fifth body was successfully extricated from the debris of the collapsed building here as search and rescue operations continued early Thursday morning.
City officials said the male victim was carefully pulled out from the rubble at around 7:57 a.m. and was turned over to the City Health Office for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) procedures.
Authorities also recovered a cellular phone near the area where the victim was found. It has been turned over to Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives (SOCO) for proper examination and documentation.
Search, rescue, and clearing operations remain in full swing under the Unified Command, with responders continuing efforts to locate and recover individuals possibly trapped in the debris.
Officials said operations will continue until all missing persons are accounted for.
As of posting time, five people have been confirmed dead, 15 remain missing, and 26 have been rescued. (Liezle Basa-Inigo)
