A ferry sank during the height of Typhoon Nock-Ten killing one person and leaving 18 other crew members missing, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday.

The ship MV Starlite Atlantic with a crew of 35, sank off Tingloy town, south of Manila, on Monday and was seeking shelter in a nearby bay when it was hit by big waves and strong winds.

Typhoon Nock-Ten made its sixth landfall in Tingloy.

No fewer than 16 of the MV Starlite Atlantic crew were rescued. The PCG and crew of Starlite Ferries, the owner of the vessels launched rescue operations as the weather improved on Tuesday.

When it made its first landfall Sunday night over the town of Bato, in the eastern province of Catanduanes, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 225 kph, the weather bureau said.

It would be recalled that Nock-Ten brought down trees and power lines, and forced more than 380,000 people out of their homes.

Despite initial fears, the heavily-populated capital, Manila, was spared by the storm, which had winds of up to 120 km/h (74 mph).

Authorities have warned of flash floods and mudslides for the next 36 hours.

Emergency workers were sent to clear roads of fallen trees and power lines. Officials promised that electricity would be restored quickly in badly hit areas.

Dozens of national and international flights had been cancelled because of the storm, and officials said more than 12,000 people spent Christmas stuck at ports after authorities barred ferries from sailing.

Sea, land and air transport have slowly resumed operations.