700 stranded in Bicol ports due to ‘Salome’

LEGAZPI CITY – Seven hundred passengers were stranded in different ports in Bicol as Tropical Depression “Salome” batters the region with heavy rains, gusty winds, and rough seas on Thursday, according to the regional Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Of the 700 passengers, 465 who were on their way to Samar were stranded in Matnog port in Sorsogon province. One hundred twenty passengers were also stranded in Tabaco City in Albay.

In Masbate City, City Social Welfare and Development officers are getting the personal information of 38 stranded passengers in case of an evacuation, said Alexis Mabini, local disaster risk reduction and management officer 2 of Masbate City.

All flights to and from the airports in Albay, Camarines Sur, and Masbate have also been cancelled since 11 a.m.

Electricity, water supply, and telecommunication throughout the region have so far been normal according to Akim Berces, officer-in-charge of the Operation Section of OCD Bicol. /je