According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10km, 15km north of Poso district in Trung Sulawesi province, Indonesia, and brought at least 15 aftershocks.
According to the Indonesian National Disaster mitigation Agency (BNPB), the earthquake caused severe shaking across the surrounding area. Without a Tsunami warning, people panicked and ran away from their homes.
A church in Poso was severely damaged, while the repair work of another church collapsed, leaving many people trapped in the rubble. Video recorded the scene of believers singing the Mass when a sudden shake-up occurred, the ceremony was interrupted by screams and a group of people panicked and ran outside.
Another video from a surveillance camera in a grocery store also showed severe shaking that caused items to break everywhere. There have been no reports of deaths.
The earthquake comes just one month after an 8.8-magnitude super earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka in Russia's Far East caused a Tsunami warning across the Pacific Ocean, from Japan, Hawaii to the US West Coast.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring Road - an area frequently affected by earthquakes and volcanic explosions. Among the worst disasters, in 2022, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Cianjur, West Java claimed more than 600 lives, injured nearly 7,800 people and destroyed more than 62,000 homes.
Currently, Indonesian rescue forces are urgently searching, rescuing people trapped and supporting injured victims in the latest earthquake.
