Heavy rains cause landslides, flooding in Bicol

Eroded soil dislodged by heavy rainS block a portion of the Andaya Highway (part of Maharlika Highway) in Del Gallego town in Camarines Sur. Photo by PEEWEE BACUÑO / Contributor)

NAGA CITY — Heavy rains that have been pouring without letup since Tuesday night over the Bicol region caused landslides and flooding in Camarines Sur province in Albay province. The rains, brought by the tail end of a cold front, also caused flooding in Legazpi City.

Lucena Bermeo, head of Environment Disaster Management and Emergency Response Office (Edmero) under the Camarines Sur provincial government, said Wednesday that five barangays in Ragay town were flooded due to the rain.

There was also a landslide in Del Gallego town.

One of these slides happened at the Rolando Andaya Highway (part of the Maharlika Highway) in Barangay Comadaycaday in Del Gallego at around 6 a.m., stalling and diverting the traffic via Sta. Elena town in Camarines Norte for at least three hours.

Maharlika Highway connects the Bicol region to Metro Manila.

No one was reported hurt in these incidents.

Senior Insp. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Bicol Police Regional Office, said government engineers cleared the landslide debris that blocked hundreds of vehicles plying the Bicol-Manila route as of 8:20 a.m.

Rescued fishermen

Bermeo also said six fishermen from Barangay San Vicente in Caramoan town were rescued at the sea in the vicinity of San Andres town in Catanduanes province.

She said the rescued fishermen were taken to the San Andres Hospital in Catanduanes.

Legazpi flooding

Cedric Daep Albay Public Safety Emergency and Management Office, (APSEMO) chief, said there was flooding in Legazpi City’s business district and several of its villages.

Heavy rains also pelted Albay since Tuesday morning which has slightly swelled river channels and drainage systems, bringing flood waters in low-lying areas of Legazpi.

Daep said “flood waters subsided immediately during the succeeding hours” after 9 a.m. Wednesday.

According to Daep, once heavy downpour continues flooding could be expected in flood-prone towns in the second and third districts of Albay.

Landslide could also hit mountain slopes in the towns of Sto. Domingo, Malilipot, Malinao, Tiwi, Manito and Rapu-Rapo, Daep said. /atm

Trucks and other vehicles were stalled on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur after heavy rains caused a landslide. (Photo by PEEWEE BACUÑO / Contributor)