Auring now in Palawan

CEBU, Philippines - Tropical depression Auring will bring scattered rains and cloudy skies in Metro Cebu although it is now moving to Palawan.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, the center of tropical depression Auring was estimated at 190 km Southeast of Puerto Princesa City based on satellite and surface data.

It has a maximum sustained winds of 55kph near the center.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail throughout the archipelago and coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

But Bolivar Artiaga, weather observer of PAGASA-Central Visayas, still warns the public to be vigilant as floods and landslides are still expected in Cebu.

Meanwhile, all 228 crew members and passengers of the M/V Zamboanga Ferry were declared safe and sound following hours of rescue operations Thursday after the inter-island vessel ran aground off the Dumaguete port due to big waves brought about by Tropical Depression Auring.

No casualty was reported even as some of the rescued passengers were given first aid or brought to the hospitals for treatment for asthma, hypertension, and slight respiratory problems.

As of 4:10 p.m. Thursday, rescue operations were officially called off, the Coast Guard Station in Dumaguete said.

The commercial ship ran aground just a few meters from the Dumaguete port around 9:45 a.m. Thursday after it failed to dock at the pier due to strong winds and big waves as Public Storm Signal No. 1 was hoisted over the city around the time, according to Chief Petty Officer Cris-pin Chiong of the Dumaguete Coast Guard.

Initial investigation showed the passenger ship was scheduled to dock at the Dumaguete port around 9 a.m. from Zamboanga port, the Coast Guard official said.

Chiong said the ferry had already dropped anchor and had its securing lines on the forward and aft portions in place but stormy weather prevented a shipside docking maneuver.

Further, the securing lines in the forward portion of the vessel disengaged, causing it to drift towards the shore before it ran aground on shallow water at low tide.

Around 10:30 a.m., an incident briefing was held at the Coast Guard Station to map out an operation plan in rescuing the passengers off the grounded vessel.

However, a PAGASA weather update, which placed Dumaguete as among the areas under Public Storm Signal No. 1, prompted the ship's skipper, Capt. Roland Villamil, to seek assistance for immediate evacuation of the people on board.

The vessel was already listing on its starboard side as the waves grew bigger towards noontime, with Coast Guard officials expressing concern it could keel on its side.

Local officials, search-and-rescue groups and volunteers, paramedics teams and other civilian volunteers buckled down to work and immediately launched rescue operations to ferry the passengers and crew to safety as the stormy weather got worse as hours passed. — (FREEMAN)