Two Filipinos Become First Victims of Typhoon Falcon

Two Filipinos have become the first victims of typhoon Falcon, while two others were injured, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC) reports.

BALI (Sputnik) – NDRRMC is forecasting that the typhoon will continue to move in the north-western direction at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (12 miles per hour).

On Thursday morning, the eye of the typhoon was located about 800 kilometers (497 miles) northeast of Itbayat located in the northern Philippine province of Batanes.

Falcon, which has maximum sustained winds of around 160 kilometers per hour (99 miles per hour), has intensified the seasonal monsoon winds in the Philippines and is threatening to cause major floods and landslides on the country’s largest and most populous island of Luzon.

The Philippines is routinely affected by typhoons during the monsoon rain period, which lasts from June to December.

In May, the Philippines was hit by typhoon Noul, which prompted the country's authorities to issue a level 4 warning and evacuate at least 2,500 people.

In late 2013, the Philippines was hit by deadly Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left over 6,300 people dead.