The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Search and Rescue (SAR) Team continued operations on Monday, May 25, to locate people believed to have been trapped under the debris of a collapsed nine-storey hotel under construction in Angeles City, Pampanga.
In an update, the MMDA said its SAR Team had already entered the collapsed structure and was conducting a technical search inside the site. The operation aims to determine the exact location of possible survivors buried beneath the rubble.
The agency said the team is using advanced search equipment, including a vibraphone and life locator, to detect signs of life and guide rescuers as they work through the debris.
“The MMDA Search and Rescue Team entered the structure and is currently conducting a technical search using advanced equipment such as a vibraphone and life locator to determine the exact location of survivors under the debris,” the MMDA said.
The deployment came after MMDA Chairman Atty. Don Artes earlier announced that the agency’s SAR Team was sent to Angeles City to assist in search and rescue operations at the collapsed building site.
Artes said the MMDA moved to help in the operation as Pampanga is near Metro Manila and the agency has personnel trained for disaster response and rescue efforts.
The MMDA said the continuing operation forms part of efforts to augment local responders and speed up the search for those still missing or trapped following the collapse.
Rescuers are expected to proceed carefully due to the risks posed by unstable portions of the structure, loose debris and the possibility of further collapse.
Authorities have yet to release additional details on the number of people still being searched for or the circumstances that led to the collapse of the hotel under construction.