Embassy checking if Pinoys among casualties in NY gas blast

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino authorities in the United States are monitoring updates on the gas leak explosion in New York City that destroyed two buildings and killed at least three people.

In in its Twitter account, the Philippine Embassy in the United States said Consul General Mario De Leon is still monitoring the incident to make sure that no Filipinos are among the dead, injured or unaccounted for.

The Associated Press reported that the explosion in the East Harlem neighborhood occurred around 9:30 a.m. (New York time), about 15 minutes after a neighboring resident reported smelling gas.

The blast flattened two apartment buildings and killed three people and injured 60 others.

Read: Gas blast destroys 2 New York buildings; 3 people dead

Citing De Leon, the Philippine Embassy said the incident took place a few blocks from St. Lucy Catholic Church, which is headed by a Filipino priest Msgr. Oscar Aquino.

De Leon said there are an estimated 650 Filipinos residing in East Harlem, which is located in northern Manhattan.

The Embassy clarified that the residents in East Harlem will have Filipino-sounding names since it is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood.

Most of the Hispanic residents there are Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, El Salvadorans and Mexicans, according to the Embassy. -Louis Bacani