‘Karen’ strands 1,000 passengers in Bicol ports

LEGAZPI CITY—More than 1,000 passengers were stranded in ports in the Bicol region as Tropical Storm “Karen” moved closer to Catanduanes province.

The Philippine Coast Guard, in an advisory on Friday noon, said 554 of these passengers were stranded in Albay province, 309 in Sorsogon province and 141 in Masbate.

Some 28 ships, 126 trucks, cars and buses, and 43 motorized banca were also stranded after PCG suspended sailing of all types of sea vessels.

READ: Signal 2 over Catanduanes, CamSur as ‘Karen’ intensifies

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 over the provinces of Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Quezon, Aurora, Isabela, Quirino, Laguna, Rizal, Marinduque, Burias Island and Northern Samar.

Airport operations in the cities of Naga, Legazpi and Masbate remained normal on Thursday afternoon but some flights had been cancelled in Catanduanes after the weather bureau raised Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 over the province on Friday.

A police report said a flashflood hit Barangay (village) Lubas in San Andres town in Catanduanes but the road there remained passable to light vehicles.

The Albay provincial disaster risk reduction and management office warned fishermen not to sail out to sea while residents in coastal villages in the eastern section of the province were alerted to avoid storm surges./rga