By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA
MANILA — An official at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday said no Filipino has so far been affected by a volcano-triggered tsunami that hit Indonesian coasts Saturday evening.
“The Philippine Embassy in Jakarta reported that so far, none of the 220 members of the Filipino community in the area were among the fatalities or injured due to the tsunami,” DFA Executive Director Charmaine Aviquivil said in a report to the media.
The confirmation came from the National Disaster Management Authority, which reported that there is no Filipino national in their list of those affected.
The Embassy was also able to communicate with a member of the Filipino community in Banten, who said that the tide did not hit their area.
As of this posting, the agency continues to monitor the situation in the Southeast Asian nation, where the tsunami, triggered by the eruption of Mt. Krakatoa, hit Lampung and Banten.
News reports citing the Indonesian disaster agency said the death toll has now risen to 168, with around 745 injured and 30 missing.
The DFA, for its part, expressed condolences and offered sympathies to Indonesia and bereaved families of the victims.
