Shallow M5.3 AFTERSHOCK hit in the Flores Sea 100km from Labuan Bajo (Indonesia) on Sunday Evening.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 16th, 2026.

In the evening of Sunday August 16th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.3 aftershock hit in the Flores Sea 100 kilometer from Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Flores Sea, 36 kilometers (22 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 100 kilometer north-east of Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara. 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 16, 2026 18:14 (Makassar Time) - Aug 16, 2026 10:14 Universal Time.
Location:	100 km NE of Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Coordinates 7°56'24"S 120°35'58"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.3 Detected by 11 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.093 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very 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.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Ruteng in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Ruteng is located 76 kilometer (47 mi) north of the epicenter. Ruteng experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely 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 intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 7.7 earthquake struck 92 km (57 mi) south-east in advance of this 5.3 earthquake around 2 days earlier.

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.

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. In total, 39 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 3 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 16/08/26 20:38 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake usd0015e7j
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260816_0000365
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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