Fire crews battled a blaze that ripped through 12 homes after Typhoon Surigae caused an electricity transformer to explode in the Philippines.

The typhoon reached maximum sustained winds of 190 mph (305 kph) at the weekend when it passed by the eastern part of the country.

Several regions suffered serious damage, including in Guiuan Eastern Samar where power cables were blown and an electricity box exploded in sparks. The fire then spread to nearby homes.

Onlooker Benjie Ravas, who recorded the footage from his balcony, said: ‘I heard a loud noise like fireworks and then saw fire in my neighbourhood. Luckily, the respondent came immediately. It’s really a disaster day.’

Eastern Visayas police reported that the fire started in Barangay 6 at around 3:20 a.m. and was extinguished at 5:50 p.m. It spread quickly due to the houses being made from wood but there were no injuries.

Forecasters said that Typhoon Surigae, known locally as Typhoon Bising, had weakened on Monday (April 19) while it slowly moved away from the country.