JAKARTA (AFP, REUTERS ) - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of North Maluku province in eastern Indonesia on Sunday (March 24), US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake was 150km north-west of the coastal town of Ternate at a depth of 37km, according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake was felt in Ternate but residents were unconcerned, a local said.

"I was watching TV when the earthquake suddenly happened. The jolt was quite strong but thankfully it was quick so there was no panic," Ternate resident Budi Nurgianto told AFP.

Officials are still assessing the quake's impact but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

"We are still checking to see if there's any damage," said Mr Rahmat Triyono, head of Indonesian weather agency BKMG's earthquake and tsunami division.

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

Earlier on Sunday, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake also struck the island of Sulawesi.

The quake struck 129km south-east of the city of Palu at a depth of 10km, the US Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Last September, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200, with a thousand more declared missing.

On Dec 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 in Indonesia.