5 fishermen missing in Masbate as Kristine pummels Bicol

READ: LIVE UPDATES: Tropical Storm Kristine

INQUIRER FILES

GUINOBATAN, Albay — Five fishermen from three towns in Masbate province were reported missing on Tuesday (Oct. 22) amid the onslaught of Tropical Storm “Kristine” (international name: Trami), according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol.

READ: LIVE UPDATES: Tropical Storm Kristine

Three of the missing fishers are from Buyo village in San Fernando town on Ticao Island, while another fisher from Bentinan village in the same town has also gone missing. Additionally, a fisherman from Balocawe village in Dimasalang town is unaccounted for.

READ: Over 379,000 people affected by Kristine floods, landslides in Bicol

Search operations for the missing fishers were ongoing as of Wednesday.

The OCD does not release the names of missing individuals until their status has been validated by the Management of the Dead and Missing Cluster.

So far, the storm has affected a total of 7,062 families, or 33,884 individuals, in Masbate, and these numbers are expected to rise as responders continue to report to the OCD. INQ

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan