Significant M5.9 Earthquake struck on Monday Afternoon in the Sulawesi Sea 125km from General Santos (The Philippines).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 6th, 2026. Last updated August 19th, 2026.

In the late afternoon of Monday July 6th, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit in the Sulawesi Sea 125 kilometer from General Santos, The Philippines. Around 4.9 million people have been exposed to shaking. Another country near the epicenter is Indonesia.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Sulawesi Sea, 64 kilometers (39 mi) off the coast of The Philippines, 125 kilometer south of General Santos in Soccsksargen. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jul 6, 2026 04:11PM (Manila Time) - Jul 6, 2026 08:11 Universal Time.
Location:	125 km south of General Santos, Soccsksargen, The Philippines. Coordinates 4°59'44"N 125°15'29"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.9 Detected by 38 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.05 .
Depth:	35 km (22 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate 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 4.9 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 4.9 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 1,241,000 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 3.7 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In The Philippines , around 4.7 million people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Indonesia too.

Nearby towns and cities

The Philippines and Indonesia are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Glan in Soccsksargen, The Philippines. Glan is located 92 kilometer (57 mi) south of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Glan is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. General Santos is located 125 km to the north and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Davao is located 234 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Budta is located 262 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low).

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 graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 10 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 10 people have reported shaking in 7 places in 2 countries (Philippines, Indonesia).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Katangawan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.
• Buayan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 2 people.
• Balangonan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
• Maasim, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
• Koronadal, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
• Manado, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia: 1 person.
• Padada, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.

36 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 36 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 30 mins later 8 km (5 mi) southwest of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 32 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

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 June 26th, 2026, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit 38 km (24 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on June 7th, 2026.

In total, 52 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.9 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

Sources

Last updated 19/08/26 13:48 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tadc
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260706_0000109
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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