MANILA, Philippines — The remains of four Filipinos who died in the powerful explosion in Beirut, Lebanon last week would be brought home on Aug. 16, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported yesterday.
As this developed, the DFA said another Filipino was reported missing following the blast, bringing the total of those unaccounted for to two.
Eleven more Filipinos were reported injured, with the total now at 42. An earlier report said two were in critical condition.
According to DFA, the remains of the four Filipino victims would be on the repatriation flight that was chartered for overseas Filipino workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon.
“This chartered flight is the most concrete, immediate and timely assistance that the Department of Foreign Affairs could provide given the current situation in Lebanon,” said Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola.
“Since December 2019, the department has repatriated at least 1,508 Filipinos from Lebanon. When COVID-19 struck, the DFA moved to provide assistance to our overseas Filipinos in the country,” she added.
The DFA said the number of those who will be repatriated is still being finalized, with 230 included in the list before the blast happened.
The agency advised those who need additional information about the chartered flight to reach out to the Philippine embassy in Lebanon.
There are approximately 33,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, with 75 percent of them located in the greater Beirut area.
Lebanese authorities said the massive explosion was triggered by a fire igniting 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at Beirut’s port.
The blast destroyed the Port of Beirut and damaged nearby buildings, killing more than 150 people and wounding 5,000 others.