AUTHORITIES confirmed on Tuesday that a man previously listed as missing following the collapse of a nine‑story building in Barangay Balibago has been located safe and sound.
Andy Lemorinas personally reported to the City Social Welfare and Development Office around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, effectively removing his name from the list of those feared trapped under the debris. Verification later established that Lemorinas was not present at the construction site at the time of the incident, clearing up the confusion regarding his status and bringing relief to his family and the rescue teams monitoring the situation.
This update came just hours before officials formally transitioned operations from search‑and‑rescue to retrieval efforts. Following thorough assessments and the detection of no remaining signs of life beneath the rubble, teams shifted their focus to recovering the remains of victims still unaccounted for. As of Tuesday, the death toll stands at four, while 16 individuals remain officially listed as trapped or missing, with recovery work proceeding carefully amid unstable structural conditions.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II reiterated his appeal to the building’s owner and contractor to coordinate fully with authorities, noting that officials still do not have a verified, complete list of workers who were inside the structure before it fell.
He disclosed that as of Monday afternoon, no authorized representative from either the property owner or the construction firm had come forward to assist or provide necessary data, forcing responders to rely largely on information gathered from the site itself. The mayor emphasized that accurate records are critical to ensuring that all victims are accounted for and that proper assistance is extended to affected families.
