Brief tsunami warnings have been lifted after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake under the Molucca Sea in eastern Indonesia.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 46km (28 miles) northwest of Kota Ternate in the Maluku islands, according to the US Geological Survey.

A 9 cm (3.5 inch) wave reached the island of Jailolo but caused no damage, according to Indonesia's meteorological agency.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Shortly after the first quake, another measuring 6.2 was monitored off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, the US Geological Survey said.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" plate boundaries, and is prone to frequent earthquakes.

On Boxing Day in 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Banda Aceh triggered a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people, the majority in Indonesia.