MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Tuesday, August 18, condemned a recent explosion in Bangkok as an act of terror, and urged Filipinos there to stay out of danger.

“The Philippines deplores the horrific bombing near a popular Hindu temple in Bangkok, where innocent lives have been lost,” the Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement.

“The bombing apparently has the intention to sow terror, and we condemn this act in the strongest terms,” he said in his statement, which was read by Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose in a media briefing.

Del Rosario added that the Philippines “stands in solidarity with the government and people of Thailand at this trying moment.”

He also said the Philippine embassy in Bangkok has advised Filipinos “to remain calm and to observe necessary precautions to ensure their personal safety.”

In Thailand, authorities earlier said the blast killed a Filipino citizen but there was no mention of that person on the revised list of casualties.

Del Rosario said the Philippine embassy “is closely coordinating with Thai authorities to verify the reported Filipino casualty.”

UN secretary-general shocked

On Tuesday, the death toll from the bomb blast in the Thai capital rose to 21.

Police also said the explosion left 123 wounded, with 7 tourists from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore among those killed in the attack.

“The bomb aimed at killing as many people as possible as the shrine is crowded at around 6 to 7 pm,” police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said of the Monday evening attack.

The attack drew quick expressions of grief from around the world, with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s office releasing a statement saying he was shocked.

The Erawan shrine sits at the foot of the five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel and is surrounded by a string of other large hotels and malls that draw tens of thousands of visitors each day.

Dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, it is visited by thousands of Buddhist devotees every day, particularly Chinese visitors who travel to Thailand in larger numbers than any other nationality. – With reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com