TACLOBAN CITY – Ermie Enriquez was still shocked.
But the 35-year-old woman, who hails from Tacloban City, was grateful to have survived the massive explosion that killed at least 135 people and thousands injured in Beirut, Lebanon last August 4.
Enriquez said she was on the second floor of the salon where she worked when a Filipina co-worker asked her to go down because a customer was waiting for her. The salon is near the blast site.
“The blast happened just less than five minutes after I went down to meet the customer. All the glasses in our saloon got shattered,” she said in a chat via Messenger.
Enriquez said she and her co-workers managed to hide at the building’s basement for safety.
Before the blast, she said they felt a “strong shaking of the ground.”
“My regular lady customer saved me. Otherwise, I will be returning to the Philippines in a coffin. That is my worst experience ever,” she said.
Enriquez said the husband of her employer remained missing while the latter’s brother died due to the explosion. The two were in a restaurant near the port when the incident happened, she said.
“We don’t want to bother her at this time as she is mourning the death of her brother and her husband is still missing,” she said.
Lebanon President Michel Aoun said the explosions were caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at the port. / LZB