Coast Guard: 196 stranded in Southern Tagalog, Bicol ports

Philippine Coast Guard. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — One hundred ninety-six individuals are stranded in several ports in the Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions due to the effects of Typhoon Nika (international name: Toraji), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Monday.

The PCG said that as of 8:00 a.m., 84 individuals are stranded in Real Port, Port of San Andres, Port of Atimonan, Calapan Port, Muelle Port, and ⁠Balanacan Port in the Southern Tagalog region.

A total of 112 others, meantime, are stranded in Pasacao Port and Calaguas Island in the Bicol region, the PCG added.

It monitored 18 stranded rolling cargoes, four vessels, and four motorbancas, while four vessels and 15 motorbancas took shelter due to the typhoon.

Nika has gained strength as it nears the border of Isabela and Aurora provinces, prompting the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 in seven areas in Northern Luzon.

As of 8:00 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Nika was located over the coastal waters of Dilasag, Aurora.

The typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph), with gusts reaching 180 kph.  (Emmanuel John Abris, INQUIRER.net intern)