Tacloban City (November 24) -- One motorized banca capsized off the Limasawa waters on November 24, amid typhoon depression Urduja, a report relayed by the Southern Leyte Provincial Disaster Management Unit to the Philippine Information Agency in Maasin, Leyte stated.

The sketchy report stated that all the boat passengers which included about five to ten divers from Bohol, have all been rescued and are now safely being housed at Barangay Magallanes in Limasawa, Southern Leyte.

Earlier, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council Operations Center relayed the information from the Philippine Coast Guard in Tacloban, which stated that no sea craft was allowed to leave the Tacloban Port because of tropical depression Urduja.

Severe weather bulletin number 5 on Tropical Depression Urduja, issued at 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon of November 24 showed that the depression has changed course and is now moving Eastward slowly and is expected to be 80 kilometers Northeast of Surigao City on Wednesday afternoon and 140 kilometers Southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar on November 26.

Leyte Provinces, Biliran, Eastern Samar and Western Samar in Region 8 remains to be under Signal 1, together with Bohol and Camotes Island in the Visayas; and Surigao Provinces, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Island, Siargao Island and Camiguin in Mindanao.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council and the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council of Region 8 have warned residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes in areas under signal number 1, to take all the necessary precautionary measures against possible flashfloods and landslides.