Two people feared trapped after a building collapse in the Philippines were alive and communicating with rescuers on Sunday, an official said, as rescue efforts continued.
“They are in constant communication. We are awaiting more details, but our rescuers are doing their best to pull the survivors out of the rubble,” Jay Pelayo, information officer Angeles City north of the capital Manila, said.
The number rescued in the collapse of the nine-storey building under construction, including those in the vicinity, has risen to 24, with no deaths reported, Pelayo said in a phone interview.
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Among the rescued was a 51-year-old Malaysian national who was staying in a nearby budget hotel, which was damaged when the concrete structure collapsed.
Local delivery rider James Bernardo, 30, said by telephone he had just dropped off food on the same street when the disaster occurred.
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“A few seconds later there was suddenly a loud noise in the area, and when I looked, I realised that [the building] had already collapsed,” Bernardo said. “Thank God I’m safe.”