Pope asks tweeps to pray for victims of Texas explosion

Pope Francis on Thursday asked the faithful to join him in offering prayers for the victims of a deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas. In the message posted at 5:21 p.m. (Manila time) on his Twitter account, Pope Francis also sought prayers for the families of the casualties.

Please join me in praying for the victims of the explosion in Texas and their families. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 18, 2013      

Pope Francis' English Twitter account alone has some 2.371 million followers as of Thursday evening. The explosion that hit the fertilizer plant leveled dozens of homes, with authorities saying that up to 15 people may have been killed. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles has been coordinating with the Filipino community to see if there are Filipinos affected by the explosion. — BM, GMA News