MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday that there were no Filipino casualties in the fertilizer plant explosion near Waco, Texas that killed a still undetermined number of people and injured over a hundred others.
DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said on his Twitter account that so far, there are no reports of any Filipino affected by the incident.
Hernandez also assured that the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles, California remains in contact with American officials in Texas.
There are around 160,000 Filipinos in the said state, Hernandez earlier said, adding that the Filipino population is concentrated in the cities of Houston and Dallas.
A report from the Associated Press said rescuers on Friday (Manila time) searched remnants of a Texas farm town for other survivors from the fertilizer plant explosion, checking smashed houses and apartments for anyone still trapped in debris.
"Initial reports put the fatalities as high as 15, but later in the day, authorities backed away from any estimate and refused to elaborate. More than 160 people were hurt," the report said.