More than 1,000 stranded due to rains

One thousand passengers were stranded in Cebu ports while several flights were delayed and diverted to the Mactan Cebu International Airport because of inclement weather.

Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu station commander Weniel Azcuna said 921 passengers rode the MV Pope John Paul II bound for Manila, which is still affected by typhoon Santi.

Azcuna said the MV Pope John Paul, which figured in a minor collision with an anchored cargo vessel along Mactan Channel last Friday morning, is back in Cebu from Cagayan de Oro City and was supposed to depart for Manila.

About 59 passengers bound for Tubigon Bohol were also stranded after the trips of the MV Starcraft vessels were suspended at 7 a.m. because of strong waves.

Starcraft sailed early at 5 a.m. but two fastcrafts returned to Pier 1 due to huge waves along Lauis Ledge in Talisay City.

Another 20 passengers were stranded when MV Super Shuttle Ferry was unable to sail from Hagnaya Port to Masbate.

Several international flights for Clark were diverted to the MCIA yesterday dawn.

A flight from Asiana Airlines OZ 707 was diverted from Incheon, South Korea to Mactan at 1:13 a.m., though it later proceed to Clark at 7 a.m.

A Cebu Pacific flight 5J 371 from Macau to Clark was also diverted to MCIA at 1:05 a.m. but departed to Clark at 6:32 a.m.

The Jin Air flight LJ 003 from Incheon to Clark was also diverted at 1:20 a.m. and proceeded to Clark at 6:50 a.m.

Several Cebu-Manila-Cebu flights of Tiger Airways/SEAir incurred three-hour delays in reaction to the diversion of its Manila-Clark flight to Mactan last Friday evening. Jeff Bagolor, port operations analyst at the MCIA operations division, said SEAir flight DG 7003 from Manila to Clark was diverted last Friday night and departed at 9:28 a.m. yesterday for Clark.

PAL flights in Manila-Cebu-Manila routes were also delayed from two to three hours. Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan