DMW: 3 Filipinos hurt in Russian missile attack 'out of harm's way'

The three Filipino seafarers who were hurt after a Russian missile damaged their Liberian-flagged civilian vessel in the Black Sea were “out of danger” and did not sustain major injuries, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Thursday. 

DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said one of the affected Filipino seafarers who is an engine trainee had a fracture on his left hand and is being treated in a hospital

The two others — the ship’s captain and third mate — only suffered minor injuries and are “safe and sound” while still onboard the ship. 

“Ang ulat na natanggap namin ay out of harm’s way at out of danger ‘yung tatlong tripulante natin,” Cacdac said in a “Balita Ko” interview. 

(According to the report we received, our three crew members are out of harm's way and out of danger.) 

“It so happened kasi na nandoon sila sa bridge kung saan nagkaroon ng impact nung missile. Pero they were far enough not to obtain major injuries,” he added. 

(It so happened that they were there on the bridge where the missile hit. But they were far enough not to obtain major injuries.) 

According to a Reuters’ report, the Russian missile hit the crew’s vessel entering a Black Sea port in Odesa region. It was supposed to transport iron ore to China, Ukraine Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

One person was killed due to the incident. A port employee was also wounded aside from the three Filipino crew members. 

Cacdac said the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) is now coordinating with the vessel’s licensed manning agency to determine if the Filipinos need to be repatriated. 

“We have been coordinating with their manning agency and their shipowner para malaman kung ano ang eventuality [to find out what the eventuality is]. Kasi sa ngayon, ang [because right now, the] logical option is to have them treated and repatriated,” he said. 

He also said that the families of the wounded Filipinos were already notified of the situation. —KBK, GMA Integrated News