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LEGAZPI CITY — Severe flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains in the Bicol region have affected at least 77,335 families, or 379,784 individuals, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol reported on Wednesday.
OCD Bicol spokesperson Gremil Alexis Naz said 2,621 families, or 10,208 people, sought refuge in evacuation centers and private homes in Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Catanduanes, and Camarines Norte since Tuesday.
Churches, hotels, and private homes in Albay also opened their doors to shelter those displaced by the floods.
Three fishermen from Barangay Buyo in San Fernando, Masbate, were reported missing since Oct. 22.
Strong winds damaged 37 houses in Caramoran, Catanduanes, and another 14 homes in Masbate and Camarines Norte.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 400 villages remained submerged, and hundreds of roads and bridges were impassable.
Local governments continue rescue operations using boats to evacuate families stranded on rooftops by floods reaching up to 3 to 5 meters.
In Iriga City, Camarines Sur, the bridge connecting the villages of San Agustin and San Juan collapsed Tuesday night after the Waras River overflowed.
A road in Sitio Dumalagan, Barangay Panto, Libon, Albay, also gave way due to the downpour, cutting off access to the town proper.
The villages of Malabiga and Sampongan were isolated after the spillway overflowed, while in Daraga town, the road connecting Budiao and Bañadero collapsed.
A landslide in Guinobatan blocked the road to Jovellar with debris, rendering it impassable.
In Barangay Masarawag, the road and several vehicles were buried under sand and boulders from the slopes of Mayon Volcano.
Disaster management teams began clearing operations on Wednesday morning. INQ
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan