Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes Indonesia's east coast
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake struck 112km north of Maumere, on Indonesia's Flores Island.
The USGS said the quake struck at a depth of 18.5kms in the Flores Sea at 10.20am local time.
READ MORE: China scrambles to contain fallout of giant Evergrande debts
READ MORE: Christmas parties could spark Omicron wave
Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said, "hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1000kms of the earthquake epicentre".
There is no tsunami threat to Australia.
The head of Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati, later confirmed a tsunami warning had ended.
She said 15 aftershocks have been reported so far, the strongest of which was 5.6 magnitude.
Those living on the northern coastline should move to a higher place if they feel a strong tremor lasting more than 10 seconds, Ms Dwikorita said.
People wait outside after they evacuate a government building following an earthquake, in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. AP
Romanus Woga, Deputy Head of Sikka Regency, the district located closest to the earthquake epicenter, told CNN he felt four or five big shakes that prompted people in Maumere city to run out of their homes.
He said people living close to the coastal areas had fled to higher ground.
Mr Woga, who is driving around the city to check the situation there, said no buildings or houses had been noticeably damaged so far.
Maumere is the capital city of Sikka and the second-largest town on Flores with a population of about 90,000 people. Indonesia sits on the "Ring of Fire," a band around the Pacific Ocean that sets off frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
One of the most seismically active zones on the planet, it stretches from Japan and Indonesia on one side of the Pacific all the way across to California and South America on the other.
In December 1992, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit Flores Island, killing more than 2,000 people.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
