Hundreds of passengers, trucks, vessels stranded in Negros Occidental due to Nona

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines — Typhoon Nona left hundreds of passengers, trucks loaded with cargo, and vessels stranded in Negros Occidental on Monday, Lt. Commander Ramil Palabrica, Coast Guard Bacolod Station chief, said.

The MV St. Michael The Archangel of 2GO Travel that was set to sail to Manila from the BREDCO port in Bacolod City was stopped from leaving, causing 502 passengers and 20 vehicles loaded with cargo cargoes to be stranded, he said.

Trips of some fastcraft vessels from Bacolod to Iloilo were also halted early Monday morning but they resumed operations at 9:45 a.m., he added.

In northern Negros Occidental where typhoon signal number one had been hoisted, four fastcraft and roro vessels were unable to sail, stranding some passengers.

Nine motor bancas were also stranded, while three other small vessels also took shelter in San Carlos, he said.

In Escalante City, five roro vessels and 70 vehicles carrying cargo were stranded, he added.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Maranon said he was hoping that typhoon would bring rains to parched lands of the province due to the drought.  SFM