An earthquake measuring about 7 on the Richter scale struck off the northeastern coast of Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Sunday, prompting authorities to warn of a tsunami.
The US Geophysics Institute said the quake was recorded at a depth of 24 km and was identified in the Sea of Kings between northern Sulawesi and northern Kings, while the Indonesian Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning.
There were no reports of damage or injuries, but residents of Ternate in the northern Kings region spoke of panic triggered by the quake.
The Institute warned of the risk of significant damage, especially in buildings that are weak or unfit.
Indonesia is one of the world's most vulnerable to natural disasters. The archipelago originated from a tectonic plateau and is located on the Pacific Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of strong seismic and volcanic activity.
On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck Aceh province in the far west of the Indonesian archipelago, causing a massive tsunami across the Pacific Ocean, killing 168,000 people.
Last year, a magnitude 7.5 quake followed by the tsunami in Palau on Sulawesi island left more than 2,200 dead and thousands missing.