Pictured: Houses collapse and cars narrowly miss falling boulders as Philippines hit by earthquake

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least three people in the northern Philippines on Wednesday, toppling buildings, and shaking high-rise towers more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) away in the capital Manila.

The shallow but powerful quake struck the mountainous and lightly populated province of Abra on the main island of Luzon at 8:43 am (0043 GMT), the US Geological Survey said.

Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones. This one left scores of people injured, triggered landslides, damaged churches, and knocked out power.

In Bangued, the provincial capital of Abra, which felt the full force of the quake, a 23-year-old woman was killed after a wall fell on her, police said. At least 62 people were injured in the province.

A 25-year-old construction worker in La Trinidad, the capital of the landlocked province Benguet, died when the three-storey building he was working on collapsed, police said. Seven other workers escaped unharmed.

Another person was killed when he fell off a construction site in the mountains of Kalinga province, where eight people were also injured, police said.

As buildings shook and walls cracked in the municipality of Dolores in Abra, people ran outside, Police Major Edwin Sergio told AFP.

"The quake was very strong," Sergio said, adding windows of the local market were broken.

"Vegetables and fruits sold in the market were also disarranged after tables were toppled."

A video posted on Facebook and verified by AFP showed cracks in the asphalt road and ground in Bangued.

A number of the injured in Bangued were taken to hospital, police chief Major Nazareno Emia told AFP.

"Some of the buildings here show cracks. Power was cut off and internet as well," he added.

Congressman Ching Bernos, who represents the lone district of Abra, said the quake "caused damages to many households and establishments", but did not elaborate.

University student Mira Zapata was in her house in San Juan municipality when she felt "really strong shaking".

"We started shouting and rushed outside," she said, as aftershocks continued.

"Our house is ok but houses down the hill were damaged."