MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Basyang (international codename Conson) ripped through Metro Manila and nearby provinces Wednesday, leaving three people dead and thousands more stranded at various ports in the country.

Electricity in the entire island of Luzon was cut at 12:42 a.m. after power lines and substations were affected by the storm. The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said it hopes to restore power in large parts of its franchise area within the day.

Among the affected cities in Metro Manila were Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Pasay, Manila, Quezon, Marikina, Makati and San Juan.

Power supply was also interrupted in the municipalities of Cardona, Tanay, Binangonan, Jalajala, Pililia, Angono, Taytay and Morong, Rizal due to the explosion of a transformer at Barangay San Jose in Morong.

The power outage also forced the Metro Rail Transit and the Light Rail Transit to suspend operations early Wednesday.

The Philippine Army said at least 3 people were killed in the Bicol region during the storm.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council said a total of 137 families in 8 municipalies in Camarines Norte, Malolos, Aurora, Quezon and Laguna were evacuated at the height of the storm late Tuesday until early Wednesday.

Another 3,135 people were stranded in various sea ports after the Philippine Coast Guard banned sea travel.

The NDCC said 19 fishermen from Bagamanoc, Catanduanes had failed to return home and were missing at sea after the typhoon hit the area late Tuesday. Another eight fishermen from Pandan, Catanduanes aboard a fishing boat were also reported missing during the storm.

Aquino scores PAGASA

President Benigno Aquino III, meanwhile, scolded the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for not warning the residents of Manila about the strength of the typhoon.

"This is not acceptable," Aquino told red-faced officials at an emergency meeting of rescue agencies.

"We rely on you to tell us where the potential problems are."

Many of the city's 12 million residents went to bed late Tuesday having been lulled by forecasters' bulletins that Typhoon Basyang would hit the northern provinces instead of Manila.

However the weather service failed to mention that the disturbance had a wide radius of 300 kilometers (185 miles), meaning that although the eye of the typhoon passed north of Manila, the city still suffered from fierce winds.

While there have been no reports of deaths, much of the capital suffered blackouts shortly before midnight (1600 GMT) Tuesday that continued into Wednesday morning.

Uprooted trees, power pylons and roofing sheets blocked roads early Wednesday.

Flights were suspended at Manila airport and schools were closed, even though the typhoon, packing winds of 120 kilometers an hour, blew out to the South China Sea.

"All the agencies have adequately met their responsibilities at this point in time but your information is sorely lacking. We have had this problem for quite a long time," Aquino said.  With Agence France-Presse