A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake jolted the central Philippines, collapsing buildings and killing at least 26 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 9:59 pm Tuesday off the island’s northern end near Bogo, a city of 90,000 people, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council listed 26 deaths and 147 injuries as of early Wednesday, with 22 buildings damaged. It gave no breakdown.

Deaths were earlier reported by local rescuers in Bogo, as well as in the nearby municipality of San Remigio.

Dramatic footage filmed by residents and widely shared on social media showed an old Catholic church in Ban

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