Rescue operations are difficult: 19 missing after building collapse in the Philippines

left The collapse of a building under construction in the Philippines 19 people missing, officials and witnesses said.
The building, located in Angeles City near the capital Manila, collapsed around 3:00 a.m. (7:00 p.m. GMT Saturday), causing significant damage to an adjacent building, according to sources.
James Bernardo, a delivery worker in his thirties, told AFP that he had just finished delivering a food order on the same street when the building collapsed.
“Suddenly, there was a very loud noise nearby, and when I looked, I realized the building had collapsed,” he recounted.
A video taken by Bernardo shows a massive pile of twisted steel beams, power poles, and concrete blocks blocking the street, while other witnesses take photos with their mobile phones.

Debris from the building collapse

Angeles City is located about 80 kilometers north of Manila. Municipal spokesman Jay Pelayo explained that people at the construction site were trapped in the rubble when the building and surrounding scaffolding collapsed.
“There are 19 workers who are usually on duty in this area, and they are the ones we are currently trying to locate,” he said.
“There are huge blocks of concrete, and we need equipment to lift them. This is making rescue operations difficult at the moment.”
An initial count from the municipality indicates that 24 people have been rescued from the rubble, in addition to two people pulled from a damaged apartment hotel. Pelayo said, “We hope that the 19 workers are among them.”