The death toll from the collapse of a nine-story building in Barangay Balibago rose to six after responders recovered two more bodies from the unstable rubble, as rescue teams continue to work under perilous conditions to avoid secondary collapses.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab confirmed that one of the fatalities was detected by a K9 unit on Wednesday evening, May 27.
The body, designated as the fifth casualty, was located at 6:18 p.m. but could not be extracted immediately due to safety risks. It was retrieved only after a carefully executed operation at 7:57 a.m. on Thursday, May 28.
Later that night, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) responders discovered another victim at Sector 1 of the collapse site.
The sixth fatality was found at 11:31 p.m. and extracted at 12:40 a.m. on Friday, May 29, following deliberate measures to stabilize shifting debris.
Authorities reported that 14 workers remain missing, while 26 individuals have been rescued since the structure crumbled at around 3 a.m. on Sunday, May 24.
The building, a mixed-use development in its finishing stages, collapsed while dozens of construction workers were sleeping inside.
Rescue teams are operating under a Unified Command System, enforcing strict safety protocols as engineers continuously monitor the integrity of remaining slabs.
Heavy machinery use is tightly coordinated to prevent destabilizing the site, while responders balance urgency with caution to protect personnel and avoid triggering further collapse.
Families of the missing continue to wait outside the perimeter as responders emphasize that recovery operations require both speed and respect.
The Angeles City public information office noted that ongoing assessments and monitoring are essential to safeguard rescuers as they navigate the unstable wreckage. (Martin Sadongdong)
