2 Filipinos killed, 8 others hurt in Beirut blast —DFA

Two Filipinos were killed and eight were wounded in a massive explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

Citing the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, DFA spokesperson spokesman Ed Meñez said the Filipino casualties were in their employers' homes during the explosion.

BREAKING: DFA: Latest reports from the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, 2 Filipinos have been reported killed and 6 injured. All were in their employers homes during the explosion. @gmanewsbreaking @gmanews

— JP Soriano (@jpsoriano) August 5, 2020

Foreign Undersecretary Sarah Arriola at a press briefing said those who died and those wounded were household service workers.

Twelve Filipinos, mostly seafarers, meanwhile, were reported missing, the DFA said.

“Everything is very fluid. We are looking at all hospitals,” Arriola said, adding that financial assistance will be provided to all the victims.

Arriola said the Philippine Embassy in Beirut is also trying to locate the missing sailors.

Meanwhile, Overseas Workers Administration administrator Hans Leo Cadac told the relatives of the two Filipinos who were killed that the government will repatriate their loved ones’ remains.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Cacdac said OWWA has already been in contact with the family of one of the victims. However, they are still verifying the identity of the other casualty.

Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they have yet to identify the other victim due to loss of passport.

“Apelyido lang ang alam namin kasi nawawala ang passport niya. Nasama yata sa sunog ng pagsabog,” Bello said.

Overseas Filipino worker Mary Antonette Olita of Leyte said she was taking a video of thick smoke billowing from port warehouses when suddenly a huge explosion occurred. She said she now wants to back to the Philippines.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday the government will “intensify” its efforts to repatriate Filipinos in Lebanon.

The powerful blast resulted in several fatalities and injured thousands, as well as causing widespread fire and 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," a separate DFA statement said.

Around 33,000 Filipinos are in Lebanon, 75% of whom are in the greater Beirut area, Meñez said.

Lebanese authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion, but said it is likely that highly explosive ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at a port triggered it.

At least 78 people were killed and nearly 4,000 were injured in the explosion in port warehouses storing highly explosive material, Reuters reported.

Shockwaves from the blast shattered windows, smashed masonry and shook the ground across the Lebanese capital.

Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead.

An Agence France-Presse report said the port zone was cordoned off by the security forces, allowing access only to a string of ambulances, fire trucks and people whose relatives were working inside the devastated area.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hasan Diab has declared Wednesday a day of mourning, and President Michel Aoun called for "urgent" defense council talks.

The explosions also come as Lebanon awaits the verdict on Friday on the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, killed in a huge truck bomb attack.

Four alleged members of the Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah are on trial in absentia at a court in the Netherlands over the huge Beirut bombing that killed Sunni billionaire Hariri and 21 other people.

Meanwhile, the DFA said for Filipinos in need of assistance, the Philippine Embassy can be reached through +961 3859430, +961 81334836, +961 71474416, +961 70681060 and +961 70858086 (telephone) or beirutpe@gmail.com (email), or on Facebook. —with Michaela del Callar/Ma. Angelica Garcia/KBK/KG/RSJ/LDF, GMA News