The Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday cautioned Filipinos in Ethiopia to stay away from public gatherings in the wake of an explosion at a political rally Saturday that left as many as 80 persons injured.
Philippine Ambassador to Cairo Leslie Baja said they are closely monitoring the situation in Ethiopia following the explosion.
Baja said the embassy is checking whether any of the 800 members of the Filipino community were among those injured.
“The Embassy had advised Filipinos in Addis Ababa to stay away from any public gatherings and to report any Filipino who may have been among those injured in the explosion,” Baja said.
The embassy in Cairo also exercises jurisdiction over Ethiopia.
Baja said the explosion was caused by a grenade hurled at supporters of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who were gathered for a rally at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa.