LUCENA (3rd UPDATE) -- A fire broke out on Mount Banahaw in Sariaya, Quezon on Wednesday, with 20 people feared trapped on the mountain, authorities said. The Quezon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said it received information that members of a sect engaged in mysticism earlier went up the mountain and might have lighted candles, causing the fire. The area where the fire hit is known as Durungawan. It is covered with grass and trees, and is around 1,900 meters above sea level. The fire has affected around 10 hectares on the mountain as of Thursday morning, authorities said. The fire has not yet been put out, with extent of damage still undetermined as of posting. Officials are looking for information on the people who are in the area affected by the fire, which broke out around 4 p.m. They will search for the 20 people who went up the mountain through Dolores, Quezon on Thursday morning, officials said. The PDRRMC said it will deploy mountaineers and make use of a chopper to assess the extent of the damage. Reports said the Protected Area Superintendent Office (PASO) under the DENR did not allow people from going up the mountain. The PDRRMC has established two monitoring stations in Barangay Concepcion Pinagbakuran and Barangay Sampaloc Bugon at the foot of the mountain, with two monitoring teams assessing the situation. It earlier said that because of safety concerns, rescuers must wait until morning before they can climb the mountain. Local officials have asked the Armed Forces of the Philippines for help in monitoring the ongoing fire. The fire can be seen from the Maharlika Highway in Lucena City. A nearby mountain, Cristobal, was also hit by fire earlier this week but it has been put out, local officials told ABS-CBN News. - reports from Junry Hidalgo, dzMM; Angelique Atienza, ABS-CBN News Southern Tagalog
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:44:36 +0000
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