LEGAZPI CITY — The number of stranded passengers in Bicol ports rose to 2,004 on Friday afternoon due to Tropical Storm “Paeng” (international name: Nalgae).
Gremil Alexis Naz, spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol, said aside from the passengers, 645 rolling cargoes and 46 fishing vessels were also stranded in various ports in the six provinces in the region.
Naz said 788 people, seven buses, 186 trucks, and 61 light vehicles were also stranded along the Maharlika Highway leading to Matnog port in Sorsogon.
Sorsogon Gov. Jose Edwin Hamor ordered the social welfare office to serve food to the stranded passengers.
Earlier, Claudio Yucot, OCD Bicol chief, ordered a preemptive evacuation of residents in high-risk areas.
The agency initially reported that 812 families, or 3,148 individuals, were evacuated in Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte.
The Environment Disaster Management and Emergency Response Office (Edmero) in Camarines Sur implemented the forced evacuation to ensure the safety of the residents.
Edmero said no rescue operations would be conducted starting 6 p.m.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), in its 5:00 p.m. update, reported that Tropical Storm Paeng’s new forecast track slightly dipped south, which means it may now hit the Bicol region and Quezon province.
Pagasa said Paeng was last spotted some 180 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 was hoisted in Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate, including Ticao Island and Burias Islands, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte.
RELATED STORY:
Tropical Storm Paeng intensifies; Signal No. 2 in Metro Manila, 23 other areas