Two oil spills caused several accidents in Southern Leyte, District 1. These were discovered on the early morning of December 8, 2024 along the national highway in Southern Leyte, one in the outskirt of Maasin City and the other one in Macrohon town. The spills affected the areas covering Barangay Badiang up to Barangay Panan-awan in Maasin City, and the road stretch from Barangay San Joaquin to Barangay Amparo in Macrohon.
The oil spills caused slippery roads and many accidents that elicited several warning posts on social media. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Maasin swiftly responded and flushed water on the highway in Badiang, while the BFP Macrohon did the same on the highway in San Joaquin. The City of Maasin and Macrohon Disaster Risk Reduction and Management offices also helped in the flushing operations.
Heavy rains worsened the situation, creating hazardous road conditions that led to multiple motorcycle accidents as these skidded and lost control, most of which resulted in injuries.
BFP Maasin Fire Chief Atty. Earnswell Tan confirmed their response to reports from affected barangays, and the accidents. Similarly, SFO1 Jonathan Baring of BFP Macrohon reported at least 10 vehicles crashed caused by an oil spill in Macrohon. The local government unit of Barangay San Joaquin also sought assistance from BFP for road flushing and requested warning signs to alert motorists.
As reported, a group of friends from Maasin City, riding three motorcycles at around 4:00 in the morning shared, “It was hard to see because it was still dark, and the road was wet. That’s why we all ended up falling. Fortunately, we only sustained minor injuries, and we were lucky we wore helmets because we ended up sliding and rolling on the road.”
Authorities suspected that the oil spill originated from a tanker traveling from Padre Burgos to Maasin City during early hours of the morning. By the time responders arrived, the tanker was no longer in the area.
“It is difficult to trace the culprit of the oil spill because nobody saw it and there is no CCTV in the said areas,” Chief of City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Raul Inocando revealed. Nevertheless, efforts are ongoing to identify the vehicles responsible.
Motorists are also advised to exercise caution and follow road safety signs when traveling to prevent further accidents. (DYbañez)
