A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck in the Molucca Sea off Indonesia's Ternate island early Thursday, killing at least one person.
The quake, which struck at 06:48 local time (22:48 GMT) at a depth of 35km, sparked tsunami warnings which have since been withdrawn.
A 70-year-old woman in North Sulawesi died after being crushed by building debris, and another person broke their leg after jumping off a building, Indonesia's national news agency Antara reported.
While the region experiences high levels of seismic activity, some residents told the BBC this was one of the strongest earthquakes they have felt in at least the past six years.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that tsunami waves less than 0.3m (1 ft) were possible along the coasts of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan. The tsunami alert was lifted after two hours.
Journalist Isvara Safitri, who lives in central Manado, recalled how furniture in her room shook for several seconds. It was really strong... My head even felt dizzy, she told BBC Indonesian.
Even the roads outside the house were shaking, she said, adding that the earthquake feels like the strongest she's experienced over the past six years.
In Bitung, resident Yayuk Oktiani described chaos at the market when the shaking began, with many people fleeing, concerned for children at nearby schools.
The epicentre of the quake was roughly midway between Manado and Ternate, and the Indonesian national geological agency reported damage to buildings and injuries about an hour after the initial tremor.
Footage from a search and rescue team in Manado shows residents and officials walking through the rubble at a sports complex, with large pieces of furniture thrown about and reports of extensive structural damage.
The situation remains tense as authorities warn of potential aftershocks, with at least two recorded measuring 5.5 and 5.2 on the Richter scale.
