Fourteen of the victims were killed in landslides in the provinces of Mountain, Banaue, Ifugao and Kalinga, while one drowned in Abra province, said Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the national disaster risk management office.

Jalad said the death toll could still rise as rescuers searched for people believed trapped in three buildings of the Department of Public Works and Highways that was buried in a landslide in the town of Natonin, in Mountain Province.

According to local officials, some residents on Tuesday took refuge in the buildings ahead of Yutu's landfall, which packed maximum winds of 140km/h and gusts of up to 230km/h.

"It's difficult to establish how many are actually missing in that landslide," he told Manila radio station DZMM, adding that since it was not an official evacuation centre, there was no registration of those who were inside.

More than 38,000 residents were displaced due to Yutu, while more than 30 domestic and international flights were cancelled.

Authorities also suspended ferry service amid rough seas.

In September, Typhoon Mangkhut battered almost the same area, killing more than 100 people in landslides, flash floods and other accidents.

One of the strongest cyclones in recent memory to hit the Philippines, Typhoon Haiyan, killed more than 6,300 people and displaced more than 4 million others in 2013.

Australian Associated Press