At least 26 people dead after overloaded ferry capsizes in Philippines amid strong winds

An overloaded small ferry capsized in the Philippines as strong winds and lashing waves led panic-stricken passengers to crowd to one side of the wooden vessel, leaving at least 26 people dead.

The second tragedy hit the archipelago country as super typhoon Doksuri left 13 people dead and tens of thousands displaced before blowing away to Taiwan and China.

Fierce winds caused the ferry to turn upside down in Laguna de Bay in Rizal province east of Manila on Thursday about 46m (15-ft) from shore.

Around 66 people were aboard the 42-passenger ferry named M/B Princess Aya, sparking an investigation into the accident.

A rescue operation that was launched immediately after the incident was paused during the night and ran into the second day on Friday as the search continues for missing or dead people. 40 people have been rescued so far.

According to the coast guard, people panicked amid severe winds and waves and rushed to one side of the vessel. The overcrowding on one side left the boat to tilt and its outrigger broke leading to the capsizing of the boat.

It happened shortly after it left a wharf in the town of Binangonan for nearby Talim island, police and the coast guard said.

"This is really a tragic event that has to be investigated," coast guard Rear Admiral Hostillo Arturo Cornelio told reporters.

He said investigators would look into the reports of passengers not wearing life vests as required by safety regulations during the journey.

A video released by the coast guard showed rescue teams on a local government boat pulling out a body from the lake.

Another footage showed local fishermen aboard vessels approaching the overturned boat.

The death toll from a week of stormy weather in the wake of typhoon Doksuri has swelled the death toll to 39.

At least 13 people have died as Doksuri swept through the island nation, mostly due to landslides, flooding and toppled trees and thousands were displaced, disaster response officials said.

Mr Armand Balilo of the Coast Guard said the boat capsized after departing following the lifting of a no-sail order for Binangonan town.

The ferry’s manifest listed only 22 passengers, and there is a possibility of filing criminal complaints against the owner of the vessel, the skipper, and two crewmen.

The typhoon roared into China’s southeastern Fujian province, unleashing heavy rain and powerful gusts of wind on Friday, causing extensive damage.

It whipped power lines sparking fires in areas, uprooted trees and forced factories and shopping malls to shut down.

It swept China after causing extensive damage to homes, trees and powerlines in southern Taiwan as businesses remained shut for a second day amid warnings of extreme winds, landslides and floods.

Doksuri was categorised as the second-strongest typhoon level by Taiwan’s weather bureau.

More than 278,000 homes were rendered without power in Taiwan and hundreds of trees were uprooted in Kaohsiung.

It is the second strongest typhoon to land in China’s Fujian after deadly Typhoon Meranti in 2016 and the second typhoon to hit the country in less than two weeks.

Around 10 provinces are expected to witness heavy rains, Chinese forecasters predict. Areas of Xiamen, Quanzhou and Putian recorded hourly rainfall exceeding 50 mm (2.165 inches).