Death toll in Angeles building collapse rises to 22

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — Rescuers recovered another victim from the rubble of the collapsed nine-story building in Barangay Balibago early Wednesday, raising the death toll to 22.

The Bureau of Fire Protection said the victim was successfully extricated at 7:21 a.m. after responders carried out sustained search, rescue, and retrieval operations at the collapse site.

Authorities said the victim had initially been located at 4:04 a.m. in Quadrant 2. Rescue teams then worked for more than three hours to gain access to and recover the individual from beneath the debris.

READ: Infant among latest victims retrieved from collapsed Angeles building

The latest recovery came less than a day after responders recovered six more victims, including an infant, from the collapse site, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities from the tragedy to 22.

Search and retrieval operations remain ongoing as personnel continue clearing debris and expanding access routes in an effort to locate and recover any remaining victims trapped beneath the wreckage.

The under-construction building collapsed before dawn on May 24, trapping construction workers and other individuals in and around the site.

Authorities have yet to release the identity of the latest victim pending verification. Investigations into the cause of the collapse remain ongoing./coa