The quake – initially reported with a magnitude of 7.1 – struck out at sea near the Maluku Islands at a revised depth of 36 km and several smaller aftershocks followed, according to the Indonesian geophysics agency BMKG. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The agency had not lifted the tsunami warning over an hour after the quake, a spokesman told Reuters.

“We have not ended it because we are still monitoring the tide gauges for high waves… though none have been recorded yet,” Rahmat Triyono, a BMKG official, told Kompas TV.

Residents in some cities panicked as tremors shook buildings and authorities urged people to seek higher ground.

Some hospitals in the city of Ternate, around 130 km from the epicentre, sustained minor damage and had to evacuate patients, according to media.

Residents in the seaside resort city of Manado, 185 km from the epicentre, said the quake was felt strongly for several seconds but no damage was reported.