Manila  - A ferry with 747 people on board was stranded at sea in the Philippines on Saturday as a powerful typhoon pummelled the country, the coast guard said.

The M/V Princess of the Star ran aground at Sibuyan Island off the central province of Romblon after being battered by huge waves and strong winds spawned by typhoon Fengshen.

The ferry, which has 626 passengers and 101 crew, was on its way to Cebu province from Manila when it encountered engine trouble, the coast guard said.

The coast guard said it has dispatched rescue ships to the Princess of the Star, but bad weather was hampering the operations.

At least 18 people have been killed in various accidents caused by Fengshen in southern and central Philippine provinces.

Fengshen was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometres an hour and gusts of up to 170 kilometres an hour as it swept through a wide area in the Philippines, the weather bureau said. (dpa)