On Wednesday Afternoon a Shallow M6.3 Earthquake struck in the Sulawesi Sea 103km from General Santos (The Philippines).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 5th, 2026. Last updated August 26th, 2026.

Around noon of Wednesday August 5th, 2026, a shallow and strong M6.3 earthquake hit in the Sulawesi Sea 103 kilometer from General Santos, The Philippines. Around 6.2 million people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Sulawesi Sea, 40 kilometers (25 mi) off the coast of The Philippines, 103 kilometer south of General Santos in Soccsksargen. 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:	Aug 5, 2026 12:14PM (Manila Time) - Aug 5, 2026 04:14 Universal Time.
Location:	103 km south of General Santos, Soccsksargen, The Philippines. Coordinates 5°11'58"N 125°18'48"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.3 Detected by 51 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.043 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VIII Severe 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 6.2 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 6.2 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Severe shaking and likely moderate to heavy damage may have been experienced by an estimated 70 people. At VIII, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. The majority of people (roughly 4 million) live in an area exposed to level V, where moderate shaking and very light damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In The Philippines , around 6 million people, with impact levels up to VIII (severe shaking, likely moderate to heavy damage). Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Indonesia too.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in The Philippines . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Glan in Soccsksargen, The Philippines. Glan is located 71 kilometer (44 mi) south of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Glan is estimated to be around level VI on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (strong shaking, probably light damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. General Santos is located 103 km to the north and experienced an intensity of V (moderate shaking, very light damage). Davao is located 211 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Budta is located 243 km to the northwest (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 VII.

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 66 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 66 people have reported shaking in 30 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:

• Buayan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 8 people.
• Davao, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 8 people.
• Sarangani, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 4 people.
• Daliao, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.
• Glan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.
• Malbang, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.
• Katangawan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.
• Carpenter Hill, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.
• Caburan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.
• Kiamba, Southern Mindanao, Philippines: 3 people.

75 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 75 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 13 km (8 mi) southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 17 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 5.6

In the days before this main shock, 7 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

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.

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 28 km (18 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on June 7th, 2026.

In total, 22 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.3 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 6 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 26/08/26 00:48 (). 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 us6000ti6x
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260805_0000057
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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