1 fisherman missing, 24 others rescued from waters off Camarines Sur

NAGA CITY—One fisherman went missing while 24 others were rescued on Friday off the shores of Siruma and Tinambac towns in Camarines Sur province after the tail-end of a cold front caused seas to turn rough.

Luzena Bermeo, head of Environment, Disaster Management and Emergency Response Office (Edmero) of Camarines Sur, identified the missing fisherman as Lito Baruel, 47, resident of the village of Gata in Caramoan town.

Baruel was among a group of fishermen who went out to sea despite the bad weather. Search and rescue was ongoing to find him.

Bermeo said the 24 rescued fishermen, who hailed from Catanduanes and Camarines Norte provinces, were aboard three fishing vessels battered by the rough waves.

She said the Philippine Coast Guard and personnel from Edmero rescued the fishermen off the coasts of Siruma and Tinambac.

She said the fishermen temporarily stayed at the residences of village officials. As of Saturday, 14 crew members rescued from a vessel that sank off the coast of Siruma town on Friday were still staying in the house of village councilor Tony Cristobal in the village of Pamintan.

Meanwhile, Bermeo said 8,059 persons, comprising 1,713 families, were still affected by flooding on Saturday due to incessant rains that poured from Thursday to Friday in Camarines Sur.

The families affected by flood were in 22 barangays in the towns of Gainza, Milaor, Minalabac, Libmanan and Sagñay.# Juan Escandor Jr., @JuanEscandorINQ,