A powerful undersea earthquake has struck the north-eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku.

Indonesian and US officials initially issued a tsunami warning, which they later cancelled.

The quake hit more than 200km (130 miles) north of Ternate city with a magnitude of 6.6, officials said. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Earthquakes and tsunamis are frequent in Indonesia, part of the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire".

The quake occurred under the Maluku Sea at 1340 (0540 GMT), with a depth of 44.6km (27.7 miles).

People rushed out of buildings in North Maluku and in North Sulawesi, local radio reported.

"We felt a strong tremor for almost a minute, people ran in panic from buildings," Ternate resident George Rajaloa told AP news agency.

"Children are crying and their mothers are screaming, but there is no damage in my area."

A massive undersea earthquake sparked a tsunami that killed more than 130,000 people in Indonesia in December 2004.

PHOTO CAPTION

Map locating the epicentre of a 6.6-magnitude earthquake that struck at sea near the province of North Maluku in Indonesia Thursday. (AFP)

BBC