A magnitude 6.8 earthquake has struck near Indonesia's Sulawesi island, which was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in September.

More than 4,400 people died in the twin natural disasters last year, which struck the coastal city of Palu.

On Friday, Indonesia's geophysics agency lifted a tsunami warning which had been in place for about 40 minutes after the earthquake struck.

The latest quake hit at a depth of 10.5 miles (17km), according to the US Geological Survey.

Its epicentre was far from Palu, but it was felt there and caused terrified residents to run into the streets.


Drone footage shows the destruction in Palu following an earthquake and tsunami last year

Disaster agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said it was felt in different areas for between four to six seconds and some eastern coastal regions had ordered residents to go to higher ground.

Gina Saerang, from Manado in North Sulawesi, said the quake was "strong and long lasting".

It was also felt strongly in the nickel mining region of Morowali.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or damage following the quake.

Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific "ring of fire" and is vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Last year, Indonesia suffered its highest death toll in natural disasters in more than a decade, following two major tsunamis and several earthquakes.

September's disaster in Palu caused widespread destruction and left many without homes or clean water.

High waves hit the shore and wiped out communities after a tsunami warning was lifted.