Pinay recounts suicide bombings in Beirut


ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 11/21/2013 12:18 PM | Updated as of 11/22/2013 9:39 AM
Forensic inspectors and Lebanese army soldiers examine the site of the two suicide bombings that occurred on Tuesday near Iran's embassy compound in Beirut November 20, 2013. Photo by Sharif Karim, Reuters
BEIRUT, Lebanon – Two Filipina household service workers (HSWs) injured in the suicide bombings in front of the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon have been discharged from the hospital.
Natalia Bumanlag said she was hanging clothes on their balcony, which was just in front of the Iranian embassy, when the explosions occurred on Tuesday morning.
"Maya-maya, five seconds, boom! Pag nagtagal na ako doon sa balkon, siguradong ewan ko kung patay na ako o ano. Ngayong, nung paalis na 'ko, doon sa may salamin ng balkon, salon at sa may pintuan, [natamaan] yung ulo ko, pinush kong gano'n, kaya ito nangyari. Nahiwa dito ng maraming salamin. Lumabas ang buto sa isang paa ko," Bumanlag said.
She last recalled seeing their house engulfed by black smoke then waking up in a hospital.
"Di ko alam kung sinong nagpunta dito't nagdala sa 'kin dito. Yun pa lang ambulansya," she said.
This is the first time that Filipinos were reported injured in bombing attacks, the fourth incident to occur in south Beirut and Tripoli.
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut said that another wounded Pinay was sent home after being treated.
The recent incident injured an estimated 150 people and claimed the lives of 25 others, including the Iranian embassy's Cultural Attache in Beirut, Ebrahim Ansari.
Sunni jihadists linked to Al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for the suicide blasts. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades also warned of more attacks unless the Lebanese-based, Iranian-backed Shiite militia, Hezbollah stops sending fighters to support Syrian government forces.
The embassy urged Filipinos to remain vigilant and coordinate with them.
"I would like to really encourage and urge our kababayans here in Lebanon to please give us your names, addresses, or telephone numbers. You can do it via the Facebook, or via the emergency line of the embassy so that whenever there are emergencies like these or situations like these, we can easily determine your location and whether or not, you know, we should be concerned about the Filipinos in that area," said Ambassador Leah Ruiz.
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut is located at Mar Geries Street (Al Mahatta Road) - Hadath, Baabda - Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, Baabda.
Telephone Nos: +961 5 953522 or 03-859430
Email: beirutpe@gmail.com
Report from Rhyse Furio, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau correspondent

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