Manila, Sep 29 (DPA) At least 14 people were killed as typhoon Xangsane whipped the Philippines Thursday, triggering widespread flooding, massive power outages and disruptions in public transportation, officials said.

More than 7,000 people were stranded in ports around the country after the Coast Guard banned all sea travel while all domestic and international flights were cancelled because of heavy rains and strong winds caused by Xangsane.

School classes at all levels and government work were cancelled in the affected areas, including Manila and nearby northern provinces. Most private offices also sent their employees home early.

The storm was moving northwest at 19 km per hour towards the South China Sea after hitting Manila and the northern provinces in the early afternoon. It was expected to be 310 km northwest of Manila by Friday morning.

The expressways connecting the capital to the provinces were also closed to traffic due to debris.

Even President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was stranded for a few hours in Pampanga province, 75 km north of Manila, after inaugurating a new hotel in the area.

Eleven of the confirmed fatalities were killed after being hit by toppled trees, fallen billboards and collapsed walls in separate accidents in Manila and the provinces, officials said.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said it was still trying to verify reports that at least five people were killed in a landslide in Lucena City in Quezon province.

Sixty workers of another company in nearby Santo Rosa town were trapped on the roof of their office, which was flooded.

Many areas in Manila were also flooded while the capital's overhead commuter train system was shut down as a precautionary measure.

Power was also cut off in many areas in the eastern and central Philippines while communication lines bogged down because of Xangsane's onslaught.