US Ready to Assist Philippines in Probe of Davao City Blast - White House

The United States is prepared to aid the government of the Philippines in investigating a blast that occurred at a night market in Davao City, White House National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price said in a press release on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — President Barack Obama, the release noted, will personally extend his condolences to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte when they meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Laos next week.

"We understand that local authorities continue to investigate the cause of the explosion in the night market, and the United States stands ready to provide assistance to the investigation," Price stated.

Philippine presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said initial reports of an explosion in a night market in Davao City, a southern commercial coastal town, indicated that ten people were killed and 53 injured, the Manilla Bulletin reported earlier in the day.