'Luis' death toll jumps to 5

MANILA, Philippines - The death toll from typhoon Luis has increased to five, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Tuesday.

The NDRRMC identified in its 4 a.m. update the two additional fatalities as Edmund Dimatulak of Burgos, Pangasinan and Rogelio Sayan of Sison town.

It said that both victims drowned after being swept by the strong current while crossing a river last September 15.

The NDRRMC had earlier three fatalities from "Luis" after a passenger ship sunk in waters off Southern Leyte. More than 128 other passengers of the ship were rescued by local authorities while three others remain missing.

Meanwhile, the number of families affected by the typhoon has risen to more than 31,000 or close to 140,000 persons in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 6, the Cordillera Administrative Region and the National Capital Region, the state emergency response said.

A total of 238 passengers remain stranded in ports in Sorsogon and Camarines Sur provinces due to inclement weather.

The NDRRMC also reported that 22 roads and nine ridges in the affected regions were still impassable due to landslides and flashfloods.

The initial estimated damage to agriculture and fisheries in La Union, CAR, and Pangasinan has been placed at P20 million