An official from Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Monday that Sunday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake in eastern region's province of North Maluku has killed two people and displaced at least 2,000 others.

Agus Wibowo, spokesman for the agency, said the refugees were sheltered in 14 locations as more efforts to gather data related to the earthquake's impacts were underway in the affected areas.

He added the South Bacan district in South Halmahera Regency hosted over 1,000 displaced people.

Shelters were provided in the regency's police stations, fire squad offices, mosques, the regent's official residences and high school buildings.

The earthquake has also damaged 828 houses so far.

The spokesman said the regency administration has set a seven-day emergency response period from July 15 to 21.

As of Monday morning some 65 aftershocks were registered in the regency and the province's port city of Labuha at various minor degrees, Agus said, adding that the depth of the aftershocks occurred 10 km below the ground.

The strong earthquake took place at 4:10 p.m. Jakarta time (0910 GMT) with epicenter at 0.59 degree South Latitude and 128.06 degree East Longitude.

No tsunami warning was issued after the quake.

Indonesia is prone to earthquake as it lies on a vulnerable zone of "the Pacific Ring of Fire." Last year, a tsunami triggered by strong earthquake hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi Island, killing over 2,000.

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