Tsunami alert cancelled after earthquake

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has cancelled a tsunami alert for Indonesia and the Philippines after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has cancelled a tsunami alert for the parts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Palau after an earthquake.

The 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday, prompting an initial warning of "hazardous tsunami waves" from the center.

But the warning centre cancelled the alert after sea-level data from gauges found no sign of waves.

"There is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake" the centre said on Twitter.

Still, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology is warning the public to stay away from beaches and coastal areas until 2pm (5pm, AEDT).

There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, which was centred off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where about 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes strike.

With dpa