‘Ofel’: Passengers stranded in 12 Visayas, Mindanao ports

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 1,480 passengers and more than 80 vessels are stranded in several ports in the Visayas and Mindanao as tropical storm Ofel (Son-Tinh) moves closer.

As of Tuesday evening, October 23, a total of 62 vessels and 22 motor bancas were suspended from going out to sea in the following ports, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC):

• Ormoc City
• Hilongos, Southern Leyte
• Bato, Southern Leyte
• Liloan, Southern Leyte
• Benit, San Ricardo, Southern Leyte
• Tacloban City
• Catbalogan, Samar
• Calbayog, Samar
• Cagayan de Oro City
• Surigao City
• Tagbilaran City
• Dumaguete City

Passengers totalling 1,480 were also stranded in the said ports. Surigao City reported the most number of stranded passengers, at 1,069.

The NDRRMC is still under Red Alert, which has been hoisted Tuesday, and is continuously getting updates from its local risk reduction and management councils.

NDRRMC Situation Report, Tropical Storm Ofel, 24 October 2012, 6am

Tropical storm Ofel (Son-Tinh) has moved closer to northeast Mindanao overnight Wednesday, October 24, as it continues to threaten CARAGA and the Visayas.

Ofel was last located 90 km east of Tandag, Surigao del Sur, carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 80 km/h, and moderate to intense rainfall (5-20 mm/h) within the 400 km diameter of the storm.

Public storm warning signal number 2 has been raised over Southern Leyte, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Camiguin, and the northern towns of Agusan del Sur.

Public storm warning signal number 1, meanwhile, has been raised over the rest of Agusan del Sur, northern Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, Biliran, Bohol, Cebu, Camotes Island, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. – Rappler.com