Ship runs aground, 8 RORO passengers missing as “Nina” makes 2 landfalls in Batangas
By Saul E. Pa-a
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Calamba City, Dec. 26 (PNA) – A huge ship M/V Super Shuttle 5 ran aground along the coast of Mabini, Batangas while eight passengers of another passenger roll-on, roll off (RORO) M/V Starlite Atlantic were missing amid two landfalls of “Nina” in Batangas province on Monday.
The typhoon made its landfall in Verde Island off the town of Lobo, Batangas Monday morning and has slightly weakened after making another landfall over Tingloy, Batangas by 11 a.m.
Coast guard authorities said they had yet to conduct a full-blast search and rescue operations of the missing passengers of the RORO boat as strong winds, huge waves and strong current of the coastal waters hampered their operations.
They said that the 14 other RORO passengers survived the ordeal as the M/V Starlite Atlantic was at sea around 12 noon while on its trip from Mabini to Maricaban, Batangas.
“Nina’s” strong winds which triggered surging waves and rapid currents drifted the Shuttle 5 ship to the rocky and shallow waters while trying to moor at a berthing refuge in Mabini, Batangas.
Batangas along with Quezon and Laguna provinces were placed under Signal 3 when Nina lashed at the Calabarzon region.
In a report released to the media here on Monday, the Calabarzon Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) IVA also reported some 1,563 passengers were stranded in Batangas port including nine vessels and 113 rolling cargoes.
Sixteen other vessels and motorized bancas have cancelled trips in Lucena City, Cotta, Mauban, Atimonan and Gumaca ports because of the typhoon.
The RDRRMC IVA also said all national roads and bridges are passable and in normal condition except Diokno Highway in Batangas and the Querocep Bridge along the Marikina-Infanta Road in Barangay Magsaysay, Infanta, Quezon which was damaged during typhoon “Nona” in December last year.
The old zigzag road in Atimonan, Quezon or locally known as “Bitukang Manok” was cleared late Monday after it was rendered impassable when toppled trees obstructed the highway close to midnight on Sunday.
Also the Bauan-Mabini Road, Gasang Section and Batangas-Lobo Road in Barangay Malapad na Parang and Barangay San Miguel were temporarily impassable due to fallen trees.
DPWH and local government engineering and public works teams are conducting their road clearing operations following Nina’s exit from Batangas.
Around 11,993 residents or 2,532 families from 127 barangays were affected in Calabarzon region’s 30 cities and towns.
These included 9,997 persons (2,028 families) in 103 barangasy in Quezon province; 1,293 residents (330 families) in five barangays in Batangas province; 501 individuals (116 families) from 13 barangays in Laguna;
Some 23 residents (11 families) in a Cardona barangay in Rizal province and 179 residents (47 families) were evacuated from the five coastal barangays in Ternate, Rosario, Noveleta and a hillside village in Amadeo, Cavite. (PNA)
