Five people were confirmed trapped, including two in contact with rescuers, and 18 more were ​feared under the rubble, officials said.

"We have five confirmed trapped victims, and we have a figure of 18 workers from the list of construction workers on duty today, but no feedback yet from their families. This brings the estimated number of trapped ‌victims to 23 as of ⁠today," Maria Leah Sajili, information officer at the regional Bureau of Fire Protection, told a press briefing.

At the site of the ⁠collapsed multi-storey building under construction in the city of Angeles, north of the capital Manila, rescuers were seen clambering over a mound of concrete slabs and mangled steel, covered in green netting, searching for survivors.

The number of rescued, including those in the ‌vicinity, remained at 24, with no deaths reported, Sajili said.

Among the rescued was a 51-year-old Malaysian national who was staying in a nearby budget hotel, which was damaged when the concrete structure collapsed, Jay Pelayo, the Angeles city information officer, told Reuters in a phone interview.

He had earlier told DZBB radio that 30 to ‌40 people were feared trapped, based on information ​from a site foreman who was among those ​who escaped.

Officials said the cause ​of the collapse is under investigation, but records showed the ‌building was intended as a nine-storey condo-hotel ​under the approved ​permit, but a 10th floor for a pool was being constructed.