1 Filipino domestic worker remains missing in Beirut

Panemanglor said the 11 seafarers initially reported missing have been all found alive and are being housed in a hotel arranged by their manning agency. But two of them sustained minor injuries that needed medical attention in a hospital. (File photo: Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – All 11 seafarers have been found alive, leaving one Filipino domestic helper still missing since the Beirut blast on August 4, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut confirmed Thursday.

Charge d’affaires Ajeet Panemanglor said the Embassy had been scouring all hospitals within the Lebanese capital in search of the Filipina, who was in her place of work when the explosion took place.

“Ginagawa namin ang lahat para malaman kung nasaan siya ngayon, ang team ng Embassy ay patuloy na naghahanap, kinokontak po namin ang lahat ng ospital para malaman namin kung siya ay admitted sa isa sa mga ito (We’re are doing the best that we can to locate her, a team in the Embassy continues to search and contact the hospitals that she may be admitted in),” he said in a CNN Philippines interview.

Panemanglor said the 11 seafarers initially reported missing have been all found alive and are being housed in a hotel arranged by their manning agency. But two of them sustained minor injuries that needed medical attention in a hospital.

“Dinalaw po namin sila kahapon ang most po sa kanila ay nasa maayos na kalagayan although karamihan sa kanila ay bugbog at may pasa at sugat. Iyong dalawang kababaihan ay nasa ospital para sa karagdagang medical assistance at kami rin po sa embassy dinala namin ang isa sa mga lalaking seafarer para sa checkup (We visited them yesterday and most of them have bruises and wounds. The two female seafarers were admitted to a hospital for additional medical assistance and we also brought another one for checkup),” he said.

A total of 24 Filipinos were among the thousands injured in the twin explosions in Beirut which flattened most of the nearby structures in the port of Beirut. Two Filipino domestic helpers were also killed in the incident.

Panemanglor said the Philippine government will shoulder the repatriation cost for their remains and will process the papers as soon as work in government offices resumes. The Lebanese government has earlier declared the country in national mourning following the blast.

Based on latest data from the Department of Foreign Affairs, there are around 31,916 Filipinos in Lebanon.