At least 26 passengers were killed when an 'overloaded' boat capsized and sank off the coast of the Philippines on Thursday.

The MB Aya Express set out from Binangonan town, Rizal province, despite heavy rain and wind from Typhoon Doksuri still battering the country on July 27.

Strong winds lashed the boat, causing it to sink just 50 metres away from Kalinawan village at around 1 pm.

The Philippine Coast Guard found locals rowing on boats towards the overturned vessel as rescuers hauled bags from the wreckage.

The Coast Guard said that as of 7:10 pm on July 27, at least 26 passengers had died while 40 more were rescued. It said only 22 had signed the passenger manifest, and that the boat had a maximum capacity of 42 people.

The boat captain, who was not named by local media, said: 'The other passengers did not sign, so there were only 22 on the manifest. I did not know that while I was headed towards the Coast Guard, there were more people boarding.'

Binangonan Mayor Cesar Ynares said both the captain and the Coast Guard may face investigations for failure to monitor the number of passengers onboard.

Rescue operations were halted on Thursday evening due to stormy weather, but resumed at 6 am today, the Coast Guard said.

The typhoon, known as Egay in the Philippines, battered the country but weakened slightly overnight, losing its super typhoon status on July 26. It battered the country with gale-force winds and heavy rain, killing at least 30, the country's national disaster agency said.

It touched down in Aparri Town, Cagayan province in the northern part of the country some 360 miles from the capital Manila at 3:10 am on July 26, state weather agency PAGASA said.

Chinese media said Doksuri has landed in Jinjiang City in China's southeastern Fujian province on Friday morning. It is expected to gradually weaken while moving northwest.