Typhoon Gorio is currently moving across the Philippines, bringing potentially destructive winds and rains.
The Philippine Star reported that as of Sunday, Manila was spared from the bulk of the typhoon, while a report from the Inquirer said there were no casualties.
Eduardo del Rosario, who heads the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, told the Inquirer that it was the first time no deaths were reported during a typhoon in the country.
“Basically, we recorded zero casualty and that is good news. I think for the first time, we will have zero casualty during a tropical storm,” Del Rosario told the paper.
He continued: “Of course, we could not say that (it would be like that) 100 percent (in the next several hours). But if there were casualties, it should have been reported by this time…. But as of the moment, we are proud to say that we have zero casualty,” he added.
The Associated Press reported that Gorio was downgraded to a tropical storm over the weekend. The storm had sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and stronger gusts.
The government said that 1,600 villagers fled their homes in Albay province southeast of Manila.
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