Legazpi City ––At least 1,553 passengers are stranded in Sorsogon ports after the Philippine Coast Guard grounded the sea crafts heading to Visayas region and Masbate Island due to typhoon Odette.
Based on the report of The Office of Civil Defense in Bicol, there are 1125 stranded in Matnog port and 428 in Pilar port on Wednesday as of 9:00 am. While 544 trucks, 83 light vehicles, 12 trailer and one bus.
The stranded vehicles are queuing along the Maharlika Highway of Barangay Manjumlad, Matnog town in Sorsogon.
The stranded passengers and vehicles bound for the Visayas and Masbate were stranded in Matnog and Pilar ports in Sorsogon, after the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Administration Services Administration (Pagasa) hoisted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 1 in Samar and Cebu.
Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD Bicol spokesperson, said the Philippine Coast Guard did not allow the passengers to sail under the “no-sail policy” declared by the government due to the stormy weather.
The stranded passengers, rolling cargoes, and five vessels were going to Northern Samar and Northern and Central Cebu provinces, while seven passengers were bound for Masbate on Wednesday.
On Monday, Dec. 13, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) also suspended land trips of vehicles bound for Visayas and Mindanao as a precaution against the threat posed by Severe Tropical Storm “Odette” that was expected to bring strong winds and intense rains.
The suspension of land travel was to avoid congestion of vehicles along the Maharlika Highway and the Ports of Matnog in Sorsogon and all other ports in Bicol.
The suspension took effect Monday and will remain until the lifting of the storm signal and when the weather condition improves.
The state weather bureau said “Odette” (international name: Rai) was located 755 km East of Surigao del Sur.
Pagasa’s 5 a.m. bulletin said it had a wind speed up to 110 km per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 135 kph as it moved Northwestward at 25 kph.
(By: Raydes Barcia)