A significant Magnitude 5.1 aftershock struck in the Sulawesi Sea 108 kilometer from General Santos, The Philippines in the night of Sunday April 20th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Sulawesi Sea, 34 kilometers (21 mi) off the coast of The Philippines, 108 kilometer west-southwest of General Santos in Soccsksargen. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 43 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 20, 2025 12:50AM (Manila Time) - Apr 19, 2025 16:50 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 108 km WSW of General Santos, Soccsksargen, The Philippines. Coordinates 5°49'34"N 124°14'19"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 24 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.063 . |
| Depth: | 43 km (27 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in The Philippines . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Lake Sebu in Soccsksargen, The Philippines. Lake Sebu is located 68 kilometer (42 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Budta is located 155 km to the north. Malingao is located 151 km to the north. General Santos is located 108 km to the east-northeast.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 68 km (42 mi) NE from epicenter |
Lake Sebu Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 83 km (52 mi) NE from epicenter |
Surallah Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 89 km (55 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bañga Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 97 km (60 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tupi Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 98 km (61 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Isulan Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 99 km (62 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Laguilayan Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 101 km (63 mi) NE from epicenter |
Koronadal Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 101 km (63 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Polomolok Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 107 km (66 mi) E from epicenter |
Glan Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 108 km (67 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tacurong Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 108 km (67 mi) ENE from epicenter |
General Santos Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 117 km (73 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Buluan Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 117 km (73 mi) E from epicenter |
Malapatan Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 118 km (73 mi) N from epicenter |
Maganoy Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 120 km (75 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Alabel Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 126 km (78 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Maluñgun Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 147 km (91 mi) N from epicenter |
Pagaluñgan Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 148 km (92 mi) NE from epicenter |
Magsaysay Davao, The Philippines. |
| 151 km (94 mi) N from epicenter |
Malingao Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 152 km (94 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bansalan Davao, The Philippines. |
| 155 km (96 mi) N from epicenter |
Budta Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 155 km (96 mi) N from epicenter |
Cotabato Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 155 km (96 mi) N from epicenter |
Midsayap Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 157 km (98 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kabacan Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 158 km (98 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Santa Maria Davao, The Philippines. |
| 161 km (100 mi) NE from epicenter |
Digos Davao, The Philippines. |
| 162 km (101 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kidapawan Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 165 km (103 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Malita Davao, The Philippines. |
| 172 km (107 mi) N from epicenter |
Parang Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 206 km (128 mi) NE from epicenter |
Davao Davao, The Philippines. |
| 214 km (133 mi) NE from epicenter |
Samal Davao, The Philippines. |
| 229 km (142 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Lupon Davao, The Philippines. |
| 229 km (142 mi) NE from epicenter |
Panabo Davao, The Philippines. |
| 231 km (144 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Maramag Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 238 km (148 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Muricay Zamboanga Peninsula, The Philippines. |
| 239 km (149 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Pagadian Zamboanga Peninsula, The Philippines. |
| 242 km (150 mi) N from epicenter |
Marawi City Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 250 km (155 mi) NNE from epicenter |
NIA Valencia Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 250 km (155 mi) NE from epicenter |
Magugpo Poblacion Davao, The Philippines. |
| 252 km (157 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Mati Davao, The Philippines. |
| 260 km (162 mi) N from epicenter |
Mantampay Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 262 km (163 mi) N from epicenter |
Ozamiz City Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 267 km (166 mi) N from epicenter |
Iligan Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 268 km (167 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Zamboanga Zamboanga Peninsula, The Philippines. |
| 269 km (167 mi) WNW from epicenter |
City of Isabela Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 270 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Iligan City Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 277 km (172 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Malaybalay Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 281 km (175 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Recodo Zamboanga Peninsula, The Philippines. |
| 290 km (180 mi) NE from epicenter |
Compostela Davao, The Philippines. |
| 299 km (186 mi) N from epicenter |
Cagayan de Oro Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 299 km (186 mi) NE from epicenter |
Monkayo Davao, The Philippines. |
Shaking reported by 3 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within Philippines.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Buayan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
- Katangawan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
- San Jose (General Santos City, South Cotabato), Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
This is likely an aftershock
Approximately 40 mins before this earthquake hit, a larger 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck 10 km (6 mi) west of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.1 earthquake as an aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 5.9 |
Apr 20, 2025 12:11AM (Manila Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.0 |
17 mins later Apr 20, 2025 12:27AM (Manila Time) | 27 km (17 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
31 mins later Apr 20, 2025 12:42AM (Manila Time) | 31 km (19 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
40 mins later Apr 20, 2025 12:50AM (Manila Time) | 10 km (6 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
59 mins later Apr 20, 2025 01:10AM (Manila Time) | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.3 |
1 hr later Apr 20, 2025 01:37AM (Manila Time) | 1.6 km (1 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
5 hrs later Apr 20, 2025 05:26AM (Manila Time) | 12 km (7 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
7 hrs later Apr 20, 2025 07:20AM (Manila Time) | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
9 hrs later Apr 20, 2025 09:10AM (Manila Time) | 40 km (25 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
14 hrs later Apr 20, 2025 02:06PM (Manila Time) | 14 km (9 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
15 hrs later Apr 20, 2025 03:41PM (Manila Time) | 10 km (6 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
18 hrs later Apr 20, 2025 06:31PM (Manila Time) | 10 km (6 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
1 day later Apr 21, 2025 08:26AM (Manila Time) | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
2 days later Apr 22, 2025 01:11AM (Manila Time) | 14 km (8 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 118 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every month.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 43 km (27 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/05/25 01:08 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000q78m
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250419_0000178
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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