CBCP exec among injured in Mt. Sinai bus crash: DFA

“Fr. Mejia is one of the 23 Filipinos plus some Fil-Am tourists who were in a bus accident near St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai on their way to the border crossing into Israel,” DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez told reporters. (File Photo By Patrick Roque, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday confirmed that Fr. Marvin Mejia of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was among those injured in the recent bus accident in Mount Sinai.

“Fr. Mejia is one of the 23 Filipinos plus some Fil-Am tourists who were in a bus accident near St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai on their way to the border crossing into Israel,” DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez told reporters.

“As I mentioned before, the DFA was told that the group requested not to share information about the incident, but obviously well-meaning friends have shared information about the accident on social media,” he said.

According to Meñez, many of the Filipinos who were part of the “Holy Land tour” will be returning to the Philippines in the next few days.

The extent of the injuries suffered by the victims ranged from bruises to broken bones, and most of them have been discharged from the hospital in Sharm-el-Sheik, he said.

Meanwhile, Meñez assured that the Philippine Embassy in Egypt, as well as the Filipino community in the area, has rendered assistance to the group in coordination with the travel agencies involved.

On Friday night, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David relayed an official communication from CBCP President, Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, who asked the public for prayers for those badly injured.

Valles confirmed that one of the passengers died, and a number were injured, including Fr. Mejia.

“Fr. Mejia and the rest of the group, particularly those who were injured, got help and assistance from the Apostolic Nunciature in Cairo, Egypt, especially that there is a Filipino priest there, Fr. Limchua, who is also from Cebu, working in that Apostolic Nunciature,” he said.

“We are awaiting further notice. In the meantime, please offer prayers for Fr. Mejia and for those who were badly injured in that accident, and for the one who was killed,” he added.

Meñez confirmed that the lone fatality was the American husband of one of the Fil-Am ladies.

“The US embassy is assisting in that regard,” he said.