August 4, 2020 - The internet was flooded by the video of a mushroom cloud produced by a colossal explosion at the port of Beirut, Lebanon which sent a supersonic blastwave that destroyed a 140-meter radius rendering 300,000 people homeless, businesses leveled to the ground with losses amounting to an estimated value of $10-$15 billion dollars, a large number of people missing and 137 people dead.
After immediate response to the incident in a country where we can find a lot of overseas Filipino workers, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, issued this official statement.
PASAY CITY 05 August 2020 — The Philippines is deeply saddened by the devastating explosion in Beirut, Lebanon on 04 August 2020 that claimed the lives of many people, including two Filipinos, and injured thousands more. Eight Filipinos were injured in this tragedy, and 12 are also missing.
The Philippines extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the Lebanese Government and people, especially those who have been affected by this tragic event.
As of writing time, continous efforts are being made to exhume all bodies from under rubble and debris to find the missing people and finalize the actual body count.