Photo courtesy of Angeles City Information Office.
Authorities have moved to retrieval operations at the site of the collapsed nine-story building in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City after search and rescue efforts were officially terminated late Monday.
Fire Supt. Maria Leah Sajili of the Bureau of Fire Protection Central Luzon said the shift came at around 8:27 p.m. after assessments showed no remaining signs of life in the rubble.
The decision followed a final sweep using a life detection device, with assistance from a team from the Pasig City government, which yielded negative results.
The Incident Command System then determined that continuing rescue operations was no longer feasible given the findings.
For nearly two days, responders manually combed through unstable debris, including collapsed concrete slabs and twisted steel, in a last effort to locate survivors.
Teams from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Army, and Philippine National Police were among those involved in the operation.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II ordered retrieval teams to handle victims’ remains with dignity as recovery efforts proceed.
Authorities said preparations were in place for the next phase, while the cause of the building collapse remains under investigation.