MAASIN CITY?Eleven persons, including five foreigners, were rescued by the crew of two fishing vessels several hours after their boat off Limasawa, Southern Leyte, at the height of Tropical Depression ?Urduja.?

Chief Petty Officer Manolito Dancel, Maasin Philippine Coast Guard master, said Wednesday the motor banca, MBCA Lady Coco, left Guindulman, Bohol, for a diving expedition at Limasawa at around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

The motor banca capsized at around 8 a.m. off Limasawa when one of its outriggers broke due to the huge waves, Dancel said.

Dancel identified those rescued as Thomas Burgi of Switzerland, Gabi Girr, Marcus Offerman, Patrick Fehrenz and Corrine Fehrenz, all of Germany, and Filipino crew members Reynaldo Rosales, Gabriel Nialan, Emmanuel Olayvar, Jasper Olayvar, Daniel Logronio and Dennis Olayvar.

When the boat capsized, the six crew members and five foreign divers managed to board a rubber boat but its outboard motor fell off due to the big waves, he said.

Dancel added that the victims were rescued more than five hours later at around 1:30 in the afternoon when the crew of two fishing boats saw them floating at sea and brought them to Barangay Magallanes in Limasawa under the care of village chief Ronnel Gabriel.

He also said he could not say why the motor banca was allowed to sail when there was a tropical depression. He explained that regulations allowed only vessels of more than 1,000 gross tonnage to sail whenever storm Signal No. 1 is raised in the vessels? point of origin, route and destination.

However, Dancel clarified that the Coast Guard did not have a station in Guindolman.

He said at least 253 passengers, 6 cargo vessels and 26 vehicles remained stranded in Hilongos, Bato and Liloan ports.

Six vessels bound for Leyte took shelter in Ubay, Pitogo and President Garcia towns in Bohol and in Labogon in Mandaue City.

In Liloan, Southern Leyte, 52 families were evacuated to the Guintoylan village hall after a landslide hit the area at around 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Liloan Mayor Sherlita Chiong said in a text message sent yesterday.

No one was hurt, Chiong said.