Rescuers Save Man's Life Amid Collapsed Buildings as Heavy Rains and Tornado Wreak Havoc in Philippines

Anna Norris
Published: August 15,2016
Extreme weather brought seasonal heavy rains and even a rare tornado to the capital city of Manila, Philippines, over the weekend. The soaking downpour led to the collapse of several structures Saturday, killing two and injuring more than a dozen.

Rescue workers carry a survivor of a building collapse in Manila, Philippines, on August 13. (AFP/Getty Images)

The head of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Johnny Yu, told the Manila Times that a wall had collapsed onto a handful of shanties that housed approximately 20 people, injuring 15 and killing two teenage girls who were rescued but did not survive their injuries.One man's rescue was captured in harrowing photos of the event, as rescuers worked tirelessly even as the rain continued to pour down.
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The tornado that tore through the Port Area of Manila on Sunday downed trees and took out electricity, but did not lead to any casualties, the Philippine Red Cross tweeted.
According to the Manila Times, there were reports that the tornado damaged the National Press Club building in Intramuros, as well as several houses near where the tornado was seen on video.

Aldczar Aurelio of the Philippine weather bureau told GMA News Online that a radar-spotted thunderstorm may have been the culprit for spawning the rare tornado.
"Tornadoes are quite rare in the Philippines, typically either waterspouts coming ashore, or embedded within the country's notorious typhoons or tropical storms," weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said.
"Manila's rainfall features pronounced wet and dry seasons. Just over three-quarters of their average rain falls from May through September (about 63.33 inches)," Erdman said. "While typhoons and tropical storms can and have produced prolific, flooding rainfall, clusters of slow-moving, disorganized thunderstorms not associated with tropical cyclones can also deluge the Philippines."