JAKARTA - FREAK waves damaged dozens of houses in the Indonesian province of Papua, forcing evacuations but causing no injuries, an official said on Wednesday.

'About 36 houses in two villages outside Jayapura have been damaged by the 4m high waves. Five houses have been swept away,' health ministry crisis centre head Rustam Pakaya told AFP.

The waves struck around 6.30pm (0930 GMT, 5.30pm Singapore time) on Tuesday, four hours before a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the provincial capital of Jayapura, he said.

All the evacuees had returned to their houses.

High seas and wild weather are normal from December to February in Indonesia. -- AFP