237 passengers stranded in Albay port

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—More than 230 people were stranded in the port of Tabaco City in Albay Saturday after port officials prevented the departure of vessels bound for Catanduanes due to the approach of Tropical Storm Luis, the Office of Civil Defense in the Bicol region reported.

Bernardo Alejandro, regional OCD director, said in a text message that as of 4 p.m. Saturday,  237 passengers were stranded at the Tabaco port, up by a hundred from the 137 recorded at noon.

He said  23 vehicles were stranded at the port: one car, three buses and 19 trucks.

Police Officer 1 Dennis Sario, Tabaco City Coast Guard commander, said most of the stranded passengers came from Metro Manila.

He said the departure of all vessels bound for Catanduanes was cancelled because the province was placed by the state weather bureau under public storm signal No. 1.

In Guinobatan, Albay, heavy rains caused volcanic debris and rainwater from Mayon Volcano to cascade down on sections of the road in Barangay Maipon, hampering the traffic  due to the thick mud and strong currents of floodwaters.

Guinobatan Mayor Ann Gemma Ongjoco ordered the Municipal Engineering Office to clear the road of debris.

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