The quake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale hit the western Padangpanjang region at 9:44 pm (1444 GMT), Fauzi told AFP.

The official, who like many Indonesians only uses one name, said five people died while two others were seriously injured and five slightly hurt.

"There are several houses collapsed," Fauzi said.

At least 70 homes in the Batipuh area of Padangpanjang were badly damaged by the quake, said Erwin, an official with the meteorological and geophysics office in the effected town.

He said many residents were calling his office asking about possible major aftershocks.

"A lot of people here are a bit traumatized from last night's quake," Erwin said.

A series of weaker aftershocks followed the quake, which was centred about eight kilometres (five miles) southeast of Padangpanjang, a town about 70 kilometres north of the West Sumatra capital of Padang.

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common in Indonesia, a huge archipelago of more than 18,000 islands and islets strung along the so-called "Pacific ring of fire".

Thirty-seven people were killed by an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale at Nabire, in Indonesia's far eastern Papua province, on February 6.

On January 2 one person was killed and about 30 injured by a quake measuring 6.1 on the islands of Bali and Lombok.

Another earthquake struck the Maluku archipelago on January 29 but did not cause any injuries or major damage.

TERRA.WIRE