Albay coastal villagers being moved to higher ground

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—At least 90,000 residents of tsunami-threatened coastal villages in Albay were being moved to higher ground in a mass evacuation ordered by disaster authorities here starting at 3 p.m. Friday in the wake of tsunami warnings issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in the wake of a killer earthquake in Japan.

Residents of 127 villages in nine municipalities and two cities were being moved on foot to higher ground, or areas at least three meters above sea level, the Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in an evacuation advisory.

Classes on all levels throughout the province of Albay were also ordered suspended by Governor Joey Salceda.

The evacuation advisory directed local disaster councils to ask residents who had yet to leave for safer ground to evacuate on foot. The provincial government was not allowing the use of vehicles during evacuation as these might cause traffic jams and complicate the evacuation movement.

Evacuees were also advised to bring food during evacuation.

The governor also ordered the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Authority to suspend the sailing of any type of sea craft in all ports across the province.

The AFP and the Philippine National Police were directed to establish checkpoints on roads leading to the coastal areas of the eastern coast of the province to prevent people from going back to their residences.