BACOLOD CITY - A 15-minute tornado hit Murcia, Negros Occidental and parts of this city on Thursday, March 6.
A TORNADO hits Murcia, Negros Occidental and parts of Bacolod City on Thursday, March 6. (Photo courtesy of Negros Power)
A power outage was reported by the Negros Electric and Power Corp. at around 2 p.m. due to strong winds at the Bacolod-Alijis 69 kV sub-transmission line, impacting power supply to the Alijis and Murcia substations as well as their feeders.
Negros Electric said there were no reports of significant structural damage to their facilities.
But fallen tree branches and debris were entangled in power lines and required immediate clearing and repairs.
Negros Power’s technical teams were quickly deployed to inspect the damage, remove obstructions, and restore power safely.
Engr. Mervin Dalian, assistant vice president of the Network Development and Operations Group of Negros Power, urged residents to remain cautious and report any downed power lines or electrical hazards.
Renante Nansan, operator and responder of the Murcia Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), said that extreme heat could have contributed to the formation of the tornado.
A video of the tornado, captured by motorists and residents, circulated on social media on Thursday afternoon.
The tornado damaged the roof of a warehouse and other structures but no casualties were reported, according to Nansan.
Nansan said that debris from the roof hit an electrical post that caused a power interruption in Murcia.
He said that power was fully restored after three hours.
Rescue teams are currently assessing the full impact of the tornado.