Significant M5.3 Earthquake struck on Saturday Evening 112km from Wewak in Papua New Guinea.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 15th, 2026. Last updated September 9th, 2026.

Under land 112 kilometer from Wewak in Papua New Guinea, a significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in the evening of Saturday August 15th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 4.2 million people.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 112 kilometer (70 mi) south of Wewak in East Sepik. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 112 km.

Date and Time:	Aug 15, 2026 21:10 (Port Moresby Time) - Aug 15, 2026 11:10 Universal Time.
Location:	112 km south of Wewak, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 4°29'26"S 144°0'8"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.3 Detected by 128 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.051 .
Depth:	112 km (70 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. 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 4.2 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 4.2 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 264,200 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 3 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Papua New Guinea .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
870,500	II	Very weak	None
3,025,000	III	Weak	Probably none
264,200	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Located 112 kilometer (70 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Wewak (East Sepik, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Wewak is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
112 km (70 mi) N from epicenter	Wewak East Sepik, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak
154 km (96 mi) S from epicenter	Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak
188 km (117 mi) S from epicenter	Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak
214 km (133 mi) E from epicenter	Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea.
234 km (145 mi) SE from epicenter	Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. 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

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Papua New Guinea.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Kainantu, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.6

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.6	2 days earlier Aug 13, 2026 22:44 (Port Moresby Time)	15 km (9 mi) W from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.3	Aug 15, 2026 21:10 (Port Moresby Time)	-

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.

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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since May 10th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 203 km (126 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on February 25th, 2018.

In total, 83 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 month.

Tsunami very unlikely

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. However always 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	Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 112 km (70 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 09/09/26 00:38 (). 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.