On Wednesday Afternoon an Unusually powerful M5.6 Earthquake struck near Lankaran in Azerbaijan.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 8th, 2026.

Under land 66 kilometer from Lankaran in Azerbaijan, an unusually powerful MAG-5.6 earthquake occurred in the early afternoon of Wednesday April 8th, 2026. Roughly 10 million people may have felt this earthquake. Another nearby country is Iran.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Azerbaijan, 66 kilometer (41 mi) east of Lankaran in Lankaran Sahari. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Apr 8, 2026 13:05 (Baku Time) - Apr 8, 2026 09:05 Universal Time.
Location:	66 km east of Lankaran, Lankaran Sahari, Azerbaijan. Coordinates 38°50'27"N 49°36'0"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.6 Detected by 17 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.075 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 10 million people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 10 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 3,060 people were exposed to level V. At this level, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 8 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Azerbaijan , around 6 million people, with impact levels up to V (moderate shaking, very light damage). Roughly 4.3 million people were exposed to shaking in Iran .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Azerbaijan and Iran are both within 300km distance of its epicenter. Futher away, this earthquake may also have been felt in Armenia.

Lankaran in Lankaran Sahari, Azerbaijan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 66 kilometer (41 mi) east of Lankaran. The intensity of shaking and damage in Lankaran is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Baku is located 173 km to the north and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Lankaran is located 66 km to the west and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Rasht is located 174 km to the south and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

3 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. A 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit 5 hrs later 7 km (4 mi) south of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

This is the strongest earthquake in 6 years

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since November 7th, 2019, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 211 km (131 mi) further southwest. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 1 earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 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 10 years.

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

Sources

Last updated 08/04/26 19:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000sbau
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260408_0000171
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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