Barge anchored off Naga City runs aground in Cebu town

CEBU CITY, Philippines—An Indonesian barge ran aground off the wharf in Minglanilla town, southern Cebu after it was disconnected from its anchor in adjacent Naga City about 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday due to strong winds.

PO2 Vincent Aliñabo, desk officer of the Minglanilla Police Station, said no one was hurt among the three crew members of barge, Nania.

Chief mate Mohammad Hasan, an Indonesian, said the barge and tugboat Fred had anchored in the vicinity of the jetty owned by the National Power Corp. in Barangay Colon, Naga, while waiting for a clearance to sail back to Indonesia after delivering coal last July 1.

But Hasan told Aliñabo that strong winds spawned by typhoon “Glenda” battered their barge, breaking the rope tied to the anchor.

Hasan and two other crewmen were on board the barge but could not manuever the vessel because the wind was so strong. The barge eventually ran aground in Barangay Tulay, Minglanilla, near the wharf.

Meanwhile, 19 flights at the Mactan Cebu International Airport were cancelled due to the bad weather.

MCIA Public Affairs manager Mary Ann Dimabayao said 18 of these flights were either bound for or were supposed to come from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)  in Metro Manila and another one for Clark.

She said she expected the resumption of flights on Wesnesday afternoon, with operations at NAIA returning to normal.