2 dead as Makati elevator collapses  

MANILA, Philippines — An elevator of a high-rise building in Makati collapsed from the 38th floor before dawn yesterday, leaving two workers dead and two others injured. According to a report from the Southern Police District, an elevator at the Burgundy Corporate Tower along Gil Puyat Avenue in Barangay Pio del Pilar caved in at around 2:55 a.m.

The fatalities were Manuel Linayao and Rey Miguel Gilera, elevator installers of DLC Contractor.

Two others workers, whom police did not identify, were injured during the incident.

An investigation showed that the elevator fell from the building’s 38th floor and hit the victims, who were fixing an elevator on the sixth floor, before crashing to the basement.

First responders from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) arrived at the scene at around 3:46 a.m.

BFP personnel retrieved the remains of the first victim at around 6:44 a.m. and the second at around 9:18 a.m.

Probers said they have yet to determine the cause of the incident.

A group of workers urged the Department of Labor and Employment to probe the death of Linayao and Gilera following the elevator crash.

Federation of Free Workers president Sonny Matula said Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma should determine possible violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Law and other labor standards by the building management. – Rhodina Villanueva