7.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Indonesia sea, Risk of Tsunami reported

The Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 hit the Indonesian coast in the Molucca Sea, creating the tsunami risk in the surrounding area early on Friday morning.

The US Geological Survey reported that the Earthquake was centred in the sea about 140 kilometres (86 miles) northwest of Ternate in North Maluku province.

A tsunami warning has been issued by Indonesia's Meteorology, Climate and Geophysics Agency, urging people to stay away from the coastline.

In some cities in North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces, the Earthquake awakened residents causing some to run out in panic to higher places.

Rahmat Triyono, a senior official at the agency, which put the Earthquake's depth at 73km (45 miles), said the warning was issued for the eastern part of North Sulawesi province.

"We issued the tsunami warning with an alert that any tsunami estimated at only at the height of around 50 centimetres (20 inches)," he said.

No injury or damage reported so far. But the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 300 Km of the epicentre.