19 feared trapped after building collapse near Manila

Manila/Beijing: Nineteen workers were feared trapped after a building under construction collapsed near the Philippine capital early Sunday.

The construction collapse occurred in Angeles City, north of Manila, prompting emergency teams to launch frantic search efforts through the debris.

"There are 19 personnel that usually report in the area, so they are the ones we are trying to locate now," Jay Pelayo, the information officer for Angeles City, told AFP.

Meanwhile, in northern China’s Shanxi province, rescue crews continued searching for two missing workers after Friday’s explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine. So far, 82 people have been killed in the mishap. 

According to state media, 247 workers were underground at the time of the blast. Hundreds of rescuers, along with medical teams, were deployed to the site, with at least 128 injured workers transported to hospitals by Saturday evening.

Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into the disaster, which was described as the worst mining accident since a 2009 explosion in Heilongjiang province that killed 108 people.

Preliminary findings showed the company operating the mine had committed "serious illegal violations", authorities said during a press conference broadcast by state-run CCTV.

"Those found responsible will be severely punished in accordance with laws and regulations," officials added.

State news agency Xinhua reported that a person "responsible for" the mining company had been "placed under control in accordance with the law".

Following the tragedy, China’s State Council ordered nationwide "tough crackdowns on illegal and unlawful activities", including falsification of safety records, inaccurate underground worker counts and illegal contracting practices.