In the evening of Saturday April 4th, 2026, a significant M5.2 earthquake hit in the Indian Ocean 121 kilometer from Padang, Indonesia.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, 47 kilometers (29 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 121 kilometer south of Padang in West Sumatra. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 34 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 4, 2026 18:21 (Jakarta Time) - Apr 4, 2026 11:21 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 121 km south of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Coordinates 2°0'39"S 100°7'53"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 12 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.089 . |
| Depth: | 34 km (21 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 Indonesia . Located 121 kilometer (75 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Padang (West Sumatra, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 121 km (75 mi) N from epicenter |
Padang West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 140 km (87 mi) E from epicenter |
Sungai Penuh Jambi, Indonesia. |
| 147 km (91 mi) NE from epicenter |
Solok West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 155 km (96 mi) N from epicenter |
Pariaman West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NE from epicenter |
Sijunjung West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 191 km (119 mi) N from epicenter |
Bukittinggi West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 207 km (129 mi) N from epicenter |
Payakumbuh West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 3 smaller foreshocks were detected. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3.2 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
2 days earlier Apr 2, 2026 10:03 (Jakarta Time) | 87 km (54 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
2 days earlier Apr 2, 2026 14:34 (Jakarta Time) | 17 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
12 hrs earlier Apr 4, 2026 06:35 (Jakarta Time) | 21 km (13 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Apr 4, 2026 18:21 (Jakarta Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 14th, 2025, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 139 km (86 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on April 24th, 2023.
In total, 50 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 2 months.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 34 km (21 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/04/26 13:08 (). 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 us6000smjx
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260404_0000259
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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