Building Collapse Near Manila: 20 Feared Trapped Under Rubble

Around 20 people are feared to still be trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed early on Sunday morning in a city near the Philippine capital, Manila.

A search operation has so far rescued 24 people from the site in Angeles and two from a nearby hotel that was struck by falling debris, with no deaths reported.

The nine-storey building had still been under construction when it suddenly gave way around 03:00 local time on Sunday (19:00 GMT on Saturday). Officials are now investigating the cause of the collapse.

Many of those trapped are thought to be construction workers who were unable to escape in time.

Images from the scene show a mangled heap of scaffolding and concrete splaying out onto the street, covered by green safety netting.

City information officer Jay Pelayo told news agency AFP that the building's walls and scaffolding surrounding it had buckled, likely trapping people in a pile of debris.

"There are big chunks of concrete, and we need equipment to lift them up," he said. "That is what's challenging for the rescue right now."

Five people have been confirmed as trapped, two of whom have been able to make contact with rescue workers, according to Reuters, with more feared to be under the rubble.

An eyewitness told the Daily Tribune newspaper that she heard a loud rumbling moments before the collapse. She said she briefly lost consciousness, waking up to see debris covering two streets.

Angeles sits around 90km (50 miles) to the north-west of Manila, on Luzon, the largest and most populous island in the Philippines.

Construction work in the far east Asian nation is frequently beset by poor planning and project management, as well as design errors, research suggests.