Four power lines down as 'Opong' hits

Severe Tropical Storm Opong has disrupted power in parts of Samar, Eastern Samar, and Negros Oriental, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported on Friday morning.

The storm has knocked out four major transmission lines, leaving thousands of customers without electricity.

In Northern Samar and Samar, the Calbayog-Allen 69kV line, which went offline at 1:43 AM, has affected the Northern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORSAMELCO) and Samar I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SAMELCO I).

Shortly after, the Calbayog-Bliss 69kV line went down at 2:31 AM, further disrupting power for SAMELCO I customers.

In Eastern Samar, the Paranas-Quinapondan 69kV line, out since 12:51 AM, has left the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. without power.

The storm has also impacted Negros Oriental, where the Amlan-Siaton 69kV line went offline at 6:35 AM, affecting customers of the Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative, Inc..

NGCP said inspections and restoration work will commence as soon as weather conditions improve.

The agency noted that power interruptions may result from problems in transmission lines or local distribution networks, with the specific areas affected determined by the respective electric cooperatives.