Indonesia Earthquake Today: 7.6 Magnitude Quake Kills One Near Ternate

A strong magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck early Thursday off eastern Indonesia near Ternate in North Maluku province, killing at least one person, officials said.

The temblor struck at 5:48 a.m. local time, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, known as BMKG, said in a statement.

The agency said it struck at a depth of about 20 miles, while the U.S. Geological Survey, which rated it a magnitude 7.4 strike, said the quake was 22 miles deep and located 79 miles west northwest of Ternate island in the Northern Molucca Sea.

Indonesia issued tsunami warnings that were later lifted.

The earthquake shook Ternate city strongly, prompting residents to take to the streets in panic, causing plaster to fall from walls, chimneys to collapse and other damage, according to a statement from BMKG.

Residents in Manado, the capital city of North Sulawesi province, also felt the quake, the agency said, with several buildings damaged.

One person, a 70 year old woman, died after being struck by building debris in Manado, though reports of additional casualties were being investigated, Nuriadin Gumeleng, the spokesperson for Manado's search and rescue emergency service, said in a video statement, Indonesia's state owned Antara news agency reported.

Gumeleng said authorities had received information about additional people who may have been hurt trying to escape.

BMKG urged residents to inspect their buildings for damage.

"We urge people in affected areas to inspect the structural condition of buildings before entering homes or other buildings," A. Fachri Radjab, acting director of engineering seismology, potential geophysics and time signals at BMKG, said in a statement.

"If there is still damage or cracking, this should be taken seriously and people should not immediately go inside."