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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of those trapped are thought to be construction workers who were unable to escape in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images from the scene show a mangled heap of scaffolding and concrete splaying out onto the street, covered by green safety netting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Angeles sits around 90km (50 miles) to the north-west of Manila, on Luzon, the largest and most populous island in the Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n