At least 15,000 stranded in ports due to ‘Usman’

MANILA, Philippines — Over 15,000 passengers were stranded in different ports nationwide due to inclement weather brought by Tropical Depression “Usman,” the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Friday morning.

In an updated tally, the PCG recorded 15,788 stranded passengers in the following areas:

• National Capital Region-Central Luzon – 1,049

• Central Visayas – 1,164

• Southern Tagalog – 1,733

• Western Visayas – 942

• Bicol- 5,047

• Eastern Visayas- 5,017

• Northern Mindanao – 453

• Southern Visayas – 383

Aside from passengers, 1,464 rolling cargoes, 114 vessels and 24 motorbancas were prevented from sailing from the different ports.

On Thursday, the PCG suspended sea trips in at least 12 areas.

The agency said trips would resume once weather and sea conditions improve.

READ: Sea travel suspended in ‘Usman’-affected areas – Coast Guard

In its 8 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) located Usman at 250 kilometers (km) east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 65 kph.

The tropical depression is moving west-northwest at 10 kph.

Pagasa said Usman might intensify into a tropical storm ahead of its expected landfall over Eastern Samar on Friday night. /cbb