‘Usman’ strands 22,600 passengers in ports

Passengers bound for Leyte province are left stranded at Cebu City’s Pier 1 after the Coast Guard suspended sea travel on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, as Tropical Depression “Usman” moves toward the Visayas. JUNJIE MENDOZA/CEBU DAILY NEWS

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression “Usman” left 22,623 passengers stranded in different ports all over the country before it lost steam and weakened to a low pressure area, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Saturday.

In the updated tally of the PCG showed the following number of stranded passengers as of 4 a.m.:

National Capital Region – 376

Central Visayas – 2,387

Southern Tagalog – 4,001

Western Visayas – 1,115

Bicol – 8,201

Eastern Visayas – 5,043

Northern Mindanao – 137

Southern Visayas – 1,363

Apart from passengers, 2,113 rolling cargoes, 124 vessels, and 45 motor bancas were also stranded in various ports nationwide.

The PCG suspended sea trips in at least 12 areas on Thursday. The agency said trips would resume once weather and sea conditions improve.

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

Meanwhile, several local flights were canceled due to the inclement weather brought by Usman.

READ: Local flights canceled due to ‘Usman’

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its latest weather update that Usman weakened into an LPA after making landfall over Borongan City, Eastern Samar, at 6 a.m.

The center of the LPA was located in the vicinity of Llorente, Eastern Samar, at 7 a.m.

Pagasa said sea travel was risky over the seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon, the eastern and western seaboards of Southern Luzon, and the eastern seaboard of the Visayas due to the surge of the northeast monsoon. /cbb