'Luis' leaves Philippines, zero casualty so far

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon "Luis" left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) before Monday noon and government officials have yet to record any casualty.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its latest update that the center of the typhoon was located at 72 kilometers west of Laoag City or outside PAR at 11 a.m.

Luis is still packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 150 kph.

Before Luis exited the country, the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra and Pangasinan were still under public storm warning signal no. 1.

Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that three people were killed, three were injured and 128 were rescued due to maritime incidents in Eastern Visayas and Metro Manila.

In a televised press briefing at the NDRRMC headquarters this noon, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said these casualties cannot be directly attributed to Luis.

Roxas and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said there are still no casualty due to the typhoon.

According to the NDRRMC, 7,801 people were affected and fled to 36 evacuation centers in the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila.

READ: Over 1,700 families affected by 'Luis'

For more news and updates on Typhoon Luis, visit our weather page.