The Philippine coast guard pressed its search Tuesday for 18 crewmen from a cargo ship that sank at the height of Typhoon Nock-Ten, which struck the country on Christmas Day.

A powerful typhoon blew out of the northern Philippines on Monday after killing at least six people and spoiling Christmas in several provinces, where more than 380,000 people abandoned celebrations at home to reach emergency shelters and other safer grounds.

Philippine authorities on Saturday evacuated thousands in coastal villages in the country's central region where a category 4 typhoon is expected to make landfall later this weekend, bringing strong winds and heavy rains.