INJURED PINOYS RECOVERING WELL. Philippine Consul General in Chicago Leo Herrera-Lim (L) visits injured Filipino oil worker Renato Dominguez along with his wife in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Photo courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Washington DC

MANILA, Philippines - Two of the 3 Filipinos injured in the November 16 explosion on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico are no longer in critical condition, the Philippine Embassy in the US announced on Sunday, December 2.

Renato Dominguez and another Pinoy -- whose family has requested the victim not be identified -- are off the critical list while the condition of a third, Wilberto Ilagan, is still improving, the embassy said in a statement.

Three other Filipinos died in the same explosion: Jerome Malagapo, Avelino Tajonera and Elroy Corporal.

“We welcome the good news that our two kababayans are no longer in the critical list (…) We will continue to pray that their condition will keep on improving in the coming days,” the statement quoted ambassador Jose Cuisia.

A total of 22 people on board the oil platform when the blast rocked the rig operated by Houston-based Black Elk Energy.

Nine of the 22 were Filipino workers, and 3 of them were also injured but not seriously.

The Filipino victims of the blast are believed to be among an estimated 162 welders, fitters, scaffolders and riggers who were hired in the Philippines to work in offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. - Rappler.com