Kristine pounds Bicol, accelerates westward

Classes and office work were suspended, flights were canceled and power and water services were disrupted as Tropical Storm Kristine dumped heavy rains and caused flooding in the areas. Stor Bicol region.

- By MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

Three persons were missing and another was injured as Kristine cut across the country and accelerated westward, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

There have been no reports of deaths, the NDRRMC said, as disaster response and rescue teams continue to monitor the situation in various Forced in calamity provinces.

ry on Page 2 Before even making landfall, Kristine (Trami) has affected 77,910 families or 382,302 people in the Bicol region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas and the Zamboanga

Peninsula.

Of the number, the NDRRMC said at least 3,095 families or 12,334 people have been brought to 306 different evacuation centers.

With floods and overflowing rivers rendering various roads and bridges unpassable, a total of 4,753 passengers are stranded in the Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

The NDRRMC said 703 rolling cargoes, 26 vessels and 13 motor bancas were also reported stranded in the same regions where power outages and interruptions have likewise been reported.