国际英语新闻:Nearly 6,000 passengers stranded as tropical storm lands in Philippines

MANILA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Due to the influence of tropical storm Wukong (local name Quinta), 5,748 passengers were stranded at a dozen of ports in central Philippines by 7 a.m. Wednesday, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

Most of the passengers were stranded at ports in Manila, estimated at 2,550 persons; Cebu with 939 persons; Maasin Leyte with 454, and etc.

Moreover, 40 vessels and 10 motor bancas were stuck on the said ports while 10 vessels took shelter in other ports.

Philippine Coast Guard Units in the affected area were on heightened alert and continuously monitoring development and effects of the weather disturbance to ensure preparedness and strictly banned operation of vessels.

Tropical Storm Wukong has slightly weakened after making landfall over Leyte in east Philippines last night and is now traversing toward Camotes Island. At 7:00 a.m. Wednesday, the center of Wukong was estimated at Bantayan Island, Cebu, the state weather bureau PAGASA said.

The PAGASA warned fishing boats and other small seacrafts not to venture out into the seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Visayas and Mindanao.