Filipino hurt in Kuwaiti airport explosion

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sustained minor injuries from an explosion at a Kuwaiti airport amid the conflict between the United States and Iran, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday.

“Meron isang OFW nagtatrabaho sa Kuwaiti airport, very minor injuries. Neck wounds ang natamo. At nakalabas na rin sa hospital,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita in an interview. 

(There is an OFW working at the Kuwaiti airport, very minor injuries. The Filipino sustained neck wounds and has already been released from the hospital.)

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the death of a Filipino caregiver in Israel who was killed in an airstrike.

Cacdac said around 100 Filipinos in Dubai and Israel have so far expressed intent to return to the Philippines.

While there is currently no mandatory repatriation in effect, Cacdac said the DMW continues to accommodate individual requests for repatriation while closely monitoring developments on the ground.

Cacdac said it is not yet time for mass repatriation due to some airspace closures and flight disruptions.

The DMW is also extending assistance to Filipinos affected by flight cancellations in the Philippines and in other transit hubs such as Hong Kong among other areas.

For Filipinos currently in the Philippines who are scheduled to return to work in the Middle East, Cacdac said safety remains the government’s top concern.

Cacdac advised affected workers to remain with their families for now while authorities continue to assess the situation. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News