Tsunami warning as quake rocks Jakarta

People evacuate buildings in Jakarta after the quake struck. Photo: AFP

A powerful earthquake struck off the southern coast of Indonesia's heavily populated Java island on Friday, with the country's disaster agency warning that it could generate a tsunami of up to three metres.



The 6.9 magnitude quake struck offshore at a depth 42 kilometres, some 150 kilometres from Labuan, southwest of the capital Jakarta, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).



Indonesia's disaster agency pegged the quake at magnitude 7.4 and warned it could spark a tsunami.



"There are some areas at risk of a serious threat of a tsunami that could be as high as three metres," said agency official Rahmat Triyono.



"We're still waiting for reports about damage" from the quake, he added.



Residents in Jakarta fled their homes as buildings in the megacity swayed from the force of the quake, which struck at 7.03 pm local time.



"The chandelier in my apartment was shaking and I just ran from the 19th floor," 50-year-old Elisa said. "Everybody else ran too. It was a really strong jolt and I was very scared."



Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide. (AFP)