Jakarta: A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Northern Molucca Sea in Indonesia at 06:48 local time on Thursday, killing one person, damaging buildings and triggering small tsunami waves, officials and witnesses said.

Indonesia’s meteorology agency, BMKG, reported tsunami waves in five locations, with the highest reaching 0.75 metres in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi. The agency also recorded 11 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.5 in magnitude.

BMKG chief Teuku Faisal Fathani said modelling showed potential tsunami waves of up to 3 metres.

One person was killed by falling rubble from a collapsing building used by a local sports authority in the Manado area, police said. Initial reports indicated minor to moderate damage to homes and a church, with assessments ongoing.

Tremors were felt for 10 to 20 seconds in Bitung City and Ternate City. A resident in Manado told Reuters that people ran out of their homes in panic, adding that while there was no major damage nearby, items fell off shelves and power had been cut.

Indonesia’s disaster agency said, “Although relatively small, this situation still requires vigilance due to the potential for aftershocks.”

The earthquake’s epicentre was located about 580 km south of the Philippines coast and approximately 1,000 km from Sabah in Malaysia.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned of the risk of waves less than 0.3 m over tide levels for the coasts of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan.

The Philippines’ seismology agency Phivolcs said there was “no destructive tsunami threat” to the country, while Malaysia’s weather department also reported no immediate danger but said it was monitoring developments.

Indonesia lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly active seismic belt prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.