Bicol landslides stall passenger conveyances

LEGAZPI CITY – The Office of Civil Defense said landslides occurred Saturday evening at Barangays Paraiso and Pagsangahan all in Sam Miguel town as well as at the Virac-Caramoran national road in Barangay Tanabanan in Caramoran town, Catandaunes due to heavy rains spawned by typhoon Niña.

Bernardo Alejandro IV, OCD regional director, said the national road network connecting the capital town of Virac and Caramoran at Barangay Tanabanan was still unpassable Sunday.

Mayor Agnes Popa of Caramoran blames the ongoing road widening project as well as heavy rains for the landslide.

However, Alejandro added that the Catanduanes District Engineering Office and local contractors had already cleared the debris blocking Barangay Paraiso and Pagsangahan in San Miguel town.

As of 11 a.m. Sunday, a total of 3,070 passengers including 29 small vehicles, 41 passenger buses, 70 trucks, three vessels and three motorized bancas were stranded in various ports in Bicol.

Captain Henry Caballero, Coast Guard District commander for Bicol, said that 50 passengers including four trucks and three motorized bancas were stranded at the Pasacao port in Camarines Sur, 200 passengers, two small vehicles, three passengers buses and 16 trucks at the Tabaco City port, nine passengers and 18 trucks at the Pio Duran port; 215 passengers and 14 small vehicles were also reported stranded at the Pilar port while another 64 passengers were stranded at the port of Bulan.