JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  A powerful earthquake struck waters off eastern Indonesia early Monday, briefly generating tsunami warnings for coastlines within 600 miles of the epicenter. Thousands of people in nearby coastal towns fled homes, hotels and hospitals in panic, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 7.5 and said it struck 54 miles from the nearest city, Gorantalo, located on Sulawesi island. It was centered 13 miles beneath the sea and was followed by two strong aftershocks. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the temblor had the potential to generate a destructive tsunami along coasts within 600 miles. But even after local officials lifted the tsunami alert, frightened Sulawesi residents were refusing to return to their homes. Gusnar, the deputy governor of Gorantalo province, told el-Shinta radio he had been in touch with district chiefs and there were "no reports of serious injuries or significant damage." Like many Indonesians, he goes by only one name. Robert Bano, a Gorantalo resident, said the massive quake shook homes for more than two minutes and sent many people fleeing their homes, some, like him, with crying children. Some guests streaming from Paradiso Hotel were so afraid they fainted, the official news agency Antara reported. A witness in the city of Poso said patients from at least one hospital were evacuated. Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that battered much of the Indian Ocean coastline and killed more than 230,000 people — 131,000 of them in Indonesia's Aceh province alone. A tsunami off Java island last year killed nearly 5,000. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) a major magnitude 7.5 earthquake has struck Sulawesi, Indonesia, causing a tsunami warning to be issued. The USGS originally reported the quake as a 7.8. Local seismologists in Indonesia put the magnitude at 7.7.
Map of quake epicenter.
The NOAA had issued a tsunami warning for all areas within 1,000 k.m. of the quake's epicenter, but was later lifted.

Some witnesses report their homes shaking followed by scared residents running out of their homes to seek higher ground. Many buildings have collapsed in Gorontalo. The USGS states that damage could be "moderate to heavy". At least 200,000 people reside in the area. The city of Tolitoli in Central Sulawesi, also reported collapsed buildings. There are no reports of deaths, but at least one person was injured in a building collapse.

The quake struck 135 kilometers (85 miles) Northwest of Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia with a depth of 21 k.m. (13.0 miles) . It struck the region just after 1:00 a.m. local time (12:02 p.m. EST). 

At least two aftershocks struck approximately 30 minutes and one hour later with magnitudes of 5.6 and 5.5