NEWSFLASH

TRAVEL THROUGH BICOL BLOCKED BY ROAD ACCIDENT

Matnog, Sorsogon, March 7, 2000 - Thousands of travellers from Metro Manila, Bicol, and the Visayas were stranded for more than 18 hours along the Maharlika Highway from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning. Traffic stood to a halt after a ten-wheeler freight truck fell on its side and blocked the national road in barangay Sibobo, Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

Hundreds of air-conditioned tourist and ordinary buses numbering, haulers of manufactured consumer goods, mini-commuter buses, and private cars, were parked on the national highway while waiting for the roadblock to be cleared.

Some passenger buses, trucks and small vehicles were able to evade the traffic jam earlier Sunday afternoon and early evening by using an all weather diversion road constructed for such emergencies when the national road underwent rehabilitation work last year.

But by early dawn, even that alternate route was useless when two freight trucks also slipped and blocked the San Isidro-Barcelonita road to and from Sipocot town.

Bus passengers numbering about 6,000 with about a thousand going to and from Samar and Leyte via the Matnog Ferry in Sorsogon, suffered hunger, thirst, and lack of toilet facilities during their long ordeal.

Among those stranded were movie stars Aya Medel, Izza Ignacio, and Via Veloso who were on their way to Bicol to promote a movie.