Indonesia lifts tsunami warning after powerful 6.8 quake hits off Sulawesi island

Indonesia has lifted a tsunami warning that was issued earlier on Friday after a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sulawesi island.

A spokesman for Indonesia's Geophysical Agency announced the warning after the quake hit 280 km (174 miles) south of the province of Gorontalo. It was in place for approximately 40 minutes.

It struck at a depth of 43 km (27 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey. The warning was issued for coastal communities in the Morowali district.

There were no reports of damage or casualties but the USGS warned that considerable damage was possible in poorly built or badly designed structures.

Indonesia lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast area in the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. The vast Indonesian archipelago is home to more than 100 volcanoes.

A 7.5-magnitude quake hit the other side of Sulawesi last year, triggering a tsunami which hit the city of Palu and killed more than 4,300 people.

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