Pope Francis urges faithful to pray for Lebanon after blasts

Pope Francis on Wednesday called on Catholics to pray for the victims of the massive explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut that killed at least 135 people.

“Let us pray for the victims of the explosions in Beirut and for their families; and let us pray for Lebanon so that, through the dedication of all its social, political and religious elements, it might face this extremely tragic and painful moment,” the Pope said.

More than 5,000 other people were injured in Tuesday’s explosion at Beirut port and up to 250,000 were left without homes fit to live in after shockwaves smashed building facades, sucked furniture out into streets and shattered windows miles inland, Health Minister Hamad Hassan said.

Hassan said tons of people also remained missing.

Two Filipinos were killed and eight were wounded in the incident, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Meanwhile, a Filipino seafarer was still missing as of Thursday.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared three days of mourning from Thursday.

The death toll was expected to rise from the blast, which officials blamed on a huge stockpile of highly explosive material stored for years in unsafe conditions at the port.

President Michel Aoun said 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures after they were seized. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/KBK, GMA News