Prayers for Pinoys victims of Taiwan bridge collapse

The Catholic Church extended its sympathies to the bereaved families of the three Filipino fishermen who were killed when a bridge collapsed in eastern Taiwan.

Bishop Ruperto Santos, who chairs the bishops’ Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People, urged Filipino priests in Taiwan to assist the victims and their families.

“We condole with the bereaved families,” Santos said. “We assured them of our prayers and Holy Masses as we urged our priests there to give urgent assistance and services.”

Aside from three Filipinos, three Indonesians were also killed when a bridge collapsed in Nanfang’ao, a Pacific coast fishing village in Taiwan on 1 October.

According to reports, the Filipino fatalities were aboard a fishing boat that was under the 460-foot-long single-arch bridge when the tragedy happened.

The Philippine government has already extended assistance to the families left by the victims and assured them of help the victims’ remains to be immediately sent to the country.