Lahar flow renders Negros Occidental bridge impassable

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With Tamborong Bridge damaged, residents of Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental must take another route and travel for eight kilometers going to and from Negros Occidental

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A lahar flow that awakened village residents in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, before midnight on Friday, May 23, has damaged a bridge, rendering it impassable to locals.

Task Force Kanlaon regional head Raul Fernandez told Rappler on Saturday, May 24, that the Tamborong Bridge in Barangay Biak Na Bato had been damaged by the flow and is currently closed to vehicles.

“We’ve seen large cracks on the bridge and, so, the Department of Public Works and Highways will have to assess it first in terms [of] its structural integrity,” Fernandez said. “Let’s wait for [the] DPWH recommendation.”

The lahar flow was triggered by the combination of heavy rainfall and stocked lahar and volcano debris at the slope of Kanlaon Volcano, which erupted on May 13.

Barangay Biak na Bato Chairperson Joselito Martinez also told Rappler that severe cracks were seen in Tamborong Bridge’s lower parts. As of 5 pm Saturday, the bridge had been opened to light vehicles like motorcycles, but four-wheeled vehicles are still barred from passing through.

With Tamborong Bridge damaged, residents of Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental must take another route and travel for eight kilometers going to and from Negros Occidental.

“Tamborong Bridge is vital for the economic activities between Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, and other towns and cities in Negros Occidental, and vice versa,” Martinez said.

The lahar flow also reached the Barangay Biak na Bato proper, enveloping the main village road.

As of 4 pm Saturday, authorities have cleared the lahar along all roads in Barangay Biak na Bato. The roads were also opened to vehicles.

Since it was still raining in the province, the task force was closely monitoring another possible lahar flow. This time, the monitoring includes the Intiquiwan River in the nearby Moises Padilla town. 

“We might order preemptive evacuation if the situation worsens. We also continue to monitor other water tributaries within the peripheries of Kanlaon Volcano,” Fernandez said. – Rappler.com