2 Filipinos killed, 8 injured, 11 missing in Beirut blast — DFA

TWO Filipinos were reported killed, eight were injured, and 11 others are missing after a powerful explosion rocked Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

“All were in their employers’ home during the explosion,” DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said in a text message on Wednesday.

There are about 33,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, 75 percent of whom “are in the greater Beirut area,” he added.

READ: Huge explosion rocks Beirut with widespread damage, injuries

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. expressed the Philippine government’s “deepest sympathy to the people of Beirut, hapless victims of the catastrophic explosion in its midst which must be the worst in the history of accidental tragedies after Union Carbide in India.”

On Twitter, Locsin said, “Poor Lebanon. That humongous explosives stockpile must come from the endless conflicts into which the Lebanese are dragged or drawn by many contending military forces in the area. It was once the jewel of tolerance, sophistication and freedom in the Middle East crown.”

The Philippine Embassy in Beirut reported to the DFA home office that a massive explosion occurred in the Port of Beirut on August 4, resulting in several fatalities and dozens injured, as well as causing widespread damage throughout the city.

“The Philippine Embassy is in touch with the Filipino community in Lebanon to assess the situation and provide assistance to any affected Filipinos,” the DFA said in a statement.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called for a probe on the cause of the explosion after initial investigation showed that the blast was caused by confiscated explosive material.

An estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers and bombs, had been stored for six years at a warehouse near the port.

Source: TheManila Times