The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has deployed a search and rescue team to Angeles City, Pampanga to help in ongoing operations at the site of a collapsed building.
According to the MMDA, the team was sent together with MMDA General Manager Undersecretary Nicolas Torre III to assist in the search and rescue efforts following the collapse of a nine-storey hotel in the city that was still under construction.
MMDA Chairman Atty. Don Artes said the agency also deployed K-9 units to support the operation, particularly in locating individuals believed to have been buried under the debris.
Artes said the deployment was made to assist local responders in the search for those trapped in the collapsed structure, noting that Pampanga is relatively close to Metro Manila.
The MMDA team has already reached the epicenter of the collapsed nine-storey building, bringing with them equipment needed for the operation.
The agency’s Mobile Command Center and Operations Vehicle have also been brought to the site. According to the MMDA, the vehicles are equipped with life locators, a vibrascope, locator devices, power tools, and rescue cameras to help rescuers detect and reach possible survivors.
Authorities said the specialized tools will support responders in locating trapped individuals and conducting safer rescue operations amid the debris.
Based on reports cited by the agency, several individuals were injured in the incident, while more than 30 people are still believed to be trapped under the collapsed building.
The MMDA said its search and rescue personnel will continue working with local authorities and other responding units as operations continue at the site.