MANILA (UPDATED) — Three people, including a child, were killed while 3 others were injured after the wall of a warehouse under construction collapsed in Dasmariñas city, Cavite during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses on Thursday, Cavite police confirmed.

Romeo Cabanillas, Annabel Cabanillas, and 2-year-old Angelo Rome Cabanillas, who were staying in shanties beside the unfinished structure in Purok 4, Barangay Langkaan 1, were declared dead on arrival at hospital, according to Cavite police.

Their bodies were recovered at 4 p.m. during search and retrieval operations conducted by police and personnel of the City Engineering Office and Dasmariñas Rescue Team, the police added.

The retrieval operations started as early as 10 a.m., Dasmariñas Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. told Teleradyo.

Barzaga said the Cabanillases were buried under rocks and the collapsed structure when their bodies were retrieved.

Three others — Rolly Dijal, Jomer Blesario and Dennis Maquiling — who were also in the area during the collapse, were rescued and were under medical treatment at Pagamutan ng Dasmariñas.

One unidentified person was already discharged from the hospital, according to Barzaga.

The 6 were sleeping inside their shanty beside the construction site when a 20-foot wall collapsed and landed on them amid Typhoon Ulysses' strong winds and heavy rains around 4 a.m. Thursday, the initial police report read.

Building structure ‘weak’

The Cavite Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) said the ground softened because of heavy rains brought by the typhoon.

“Nag-accumulate ang water kasi masyadong mataas ‘yung kinoconstruct na building, so sa loob, lumambot ang lupa, then ‘yung pader sa backside nag-collapse sakto doon sa barracks na tinitirhan ng family,” the PDRRMO explained.

(The water accumulated because the building under construction was high. The ground softened, then the wall on the backside collapsed exactly on the barracks where the family was staying.)

The building has a permit, but an investigation on the collapse will still be underway, Barzaga said.

“Public holiday ngayon sa Pilipinas kaya walang tao sa city hall. Pero ang instruction ni mayor, bukas ng umaga i-assemble ang team, yung building officials, plus yung mga involved sa city hall… at titingnan namin kung walang violation,” he said.

(Today is a public holiday in the Philippines that is why no one reported in the city hall. But the mayor's instruction this morning was to assemble a team composed of building and city hall officials and we will find violations, if there are any.)

The lawmaker also said the corporation that owns the building, Polytechnic Manufacturing Incorporated, and its contractor have been called. They may face charges, he said.

“Sapagkat mayroong namatay, definitely… mag-i-initiate kami ng criminal case, homicide from reckless imprudence gawa ng pagkamatay ng tatlong tao,” he said.

(Three people died. We will initiate criminal case, homicide from reckless imprudence.)

The country's 21st storm this year left at least 2 dead and forced 170,000 to flee their homes, based on initial reports, as the COVID-19 pandemic persisted.

It comes just over a week after Super Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) devastated the southern part of Luzon, especially the Bicol region, leaving at least 25 dead.

• 2 dead, 4 missing in Bicol due to Typhoon Ulysses

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— with reports from Katrina Domingo, Bianca Dava and Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News