Philippines ? A powerful typhoon battered the eastern Philippines today, cutting off power to thousands of homes and stranding ferry passengers as it churned toward Manila.

With sustained winds of 119 mph and gusts of up to 140 mph, Durian has become a major typhoon, said chief weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the island province of Catanduanes, about 230 miles east of Manila, after authorities ordered the evacuation of coastal areas before the storm struck, said Arthur Goleze, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense.

Catanduanes residents said the winds were so strong it felt like an earthquake as the typhoon’s eye passed through early today, Manila Radio DZBB reported.

Radio reports said electricity was cut off to thousands of people in Bicol, while nearly 2,000 ferry passengers were stranded after the coast guard grounded all vessels.

Meanwhile, officials suspended school classes in Manila, where the typhoon was expected to hit early Friday, and placed more than 25 northern provinces under alerts that included the possibility of landslides and flash floods.