50,000 Black Nazarene devotees flock to Quiapo Church area

Around 50,000 people have gathered within the vicinity of the Quiapo Church as of 6:00 a.m., police say. @gmanews #Traslacion2018 pic.twitter.com/2Xa0funadX

— Nicole-Anne Lagrimas (@nclagrimas) January 8, 2018

Around 50,000 devotees have gathered within the vicinity of Quiapo Church early Tuesday morning for the celebration of the feast of the Black Nazarene, police said. 

The interior of the Quiapo Church and the Plaza Miranda grounds are filled with as many as 20,000 people.

However, Manila Police Director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel said the number of devotees along nearby roads, including the Quezon Boulevard, could reach 50,000.

The largely peaceful crowd of devotees is hearing Mass, while vendors go about with their business of selling food, handkerchief bearing the image of Jesus the Nazarene, water, while some give away free ice.

The procession kicked off from the Quirino Grandstand at around 5 a.m., earlier than previous years, Coronel said.

The Manila police chief is keeping his fingers crossed that the image of the Black Nazarene would arrive at the Quiapo Church earlier than in previous years.

No "direct, imminent" threats have been received so far, he said, but the security contingent of more than 7,500 uniformed personnel are constantly monitoring the Church grounds and the procession route.

No untoward incidents have been reported at the Church grounds as of posting. — BAP, GMA News