2 Filipinos die, 6 others injured in Beirut blasts 

This picture taken on August 4, 2020 shows a general view of the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon’s capital Beirut. Two huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, wounding dozens of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. | Photo by STR / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipinos were killed in powerful explosions that hit the Port of Beirut in Lebanon, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Wednesday.

Citing latest reports from the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, the DFA also said that six other Filipinos have been injured.

“The Philippine Embassy is in touch with the Filipino community in Lebanon to assess the situation and provide assistance to any affected Filipinos,” the DFA said in a statement.

The embassy said there could still be other Filipinos injured in the humongous blasts that devastated Beirut’s port in Lebanon on Tuesday.

“As of now, anim pa lang ang nacoconfirm namin na sugatan, pero marahil po mas marami pa ang sugatan na hindi pa namin nacontact,” Charge D’ Affaires Ajeet-Victor Panemanglor said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo on Wednesday when asked about the number of Filipinos injured in the blasts.

(As of now, we have confirmed six injured, but there could be more Filipinos who sustained injuries whom we have not yet contacted.)

“’Yung pagsabog po ay nangyari sa port, pero medyo malawak po ‘yung naging impact ng shockwave. Kahit kami sa embassy na medyo nasa labas ng Beirut, naramdaman namin ‘yung shockwave, so baka po may mga nadamay sa mga gumuhong gusali,” he further said.

(The explosions happened in the port but the impact of the shockwave was wide. Even us in the embassy outside Beirut felt the shockwave, so it is possible that there could be more who were injured from collapsed buildings.)

Reports said the Lebanon’s health ministry reported 73 dead and 3,700 injured across wide parts of the country’s capital city due to the explosions.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab was quoted as saying that 2,750 tonnes of the agricultural fertilizer ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a portside warehouse for years had blown up. / EDV