Filipino inmate in tsunami-hit Indonesia town now missing — consul general

The lone Filipino in Central Sulawesi is one of over 800 people missing after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the area on Friday, the Philippine consul general in Indonesia said.

Philippine Consul General in Indonesia Oscar Orcine said the Filipino was detained by the Bureau of Corrections (BoC) at Lapas Penitentiary in Palu City since 2011 for a drug-related case.

“[We are] looking for our compatriot. I visited him last month. He is in good health but after the incident we are continuing our effort to search for him to make sure that he is safe,” Orcine said over an interview at ANC.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) initially reported that the Filipino was safe but Orcine said they were later informed the building of BoC was destroyed by the massive temblor and tsunami that enabled the detainees to escape.

“We were informed that all of the detainees have escaped because the building was destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami,” Orcine said.

As of Sunday, death toll from the disaster rose to 832. Authorities however expect the number to further increase as search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

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The DFA on Monday expressed its condolences to Indonesia. It also said they are monitoring the situation and would be ready to extend assistance to Indonesia.

READ:  Philippines condoles with Indonesia as quake-tsunami deaths rise

/kga