A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake jolted the central Philippines, collapsing buildings and killing at least 19 people on the island of Cebu, authorities said early Wednesday, with fears the toll could rise as rescuers searched for survivors.

The shallow quake struck at 9:50 pm (1359 GMT) Tuesday off the island's northern end near Bogo, a city of 90,000 people, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Nine adults and four children were killed in Bogo, including three whose homes were buried in landslides, local rescuers told AFP.

Five more deaths were confirmed by local police in the nearby municipality of San Remigio, along with one in Tabuelan.

Four bodies were pulled from a sports centre in San Remigio, including three coastguard members who were playing at a local basketball

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