Jakarta: A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern tip of Sumatra on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, jarring residents in a region with a history of catastrophic seismic events.

The offshore tremor prompted a brief period of panic as people fled their homes for open ground. While the shaking was described as intense, authorities reported no immediate signs of serious structural damage.

"I was at home when it happened... the shaking was really strong," said Ahmadi, a 50-year-old resident of the coastal town of Sinabang in Aceh province. "I panicked. We fled the house, but because the jolt was pretty short, things went back to normal."

Ahmadi, who, like many Indonesians, goes by a single name, added that he witnessed numerous families rushing into the streets during the event.

Rahmat Triyono, head of the earthquake and tsunami centre at Indonesia's BMKG, noted that the tremors were felt most strongly on Simeulue Island and along the eastern coast of Aceh. He indicated that while the force was sufficient to rattle windows, creak walls, and potentially break glassware, there was no threat of a tsunami.

Lighter shaking was also reported in the northeastern regions of Sumatra.

The Indonesian archipelago is frequently hit by seismic activity due to its position on the "Ring of Fire," a volatile arc of tectonic plate collisions extending from Japan through Southeast Asia. The region remains deeply scarred by the 2004 magnitude-9.1 earthquake in Aceh, which triggered a massive tsunami that claimed more than 170,000 lives in Indonesia alone.

With inputs from AFP