Shallow M5.8 Earthquake struck on Saturday Night in the Indian Ocean 271km from Tangerang (Indonesia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 21st, 2026. Last updated September 20th, 2026.

A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean 271 kilometer from Tangerang, Indonesia in the night of Saturday August 22nd, 2026. Roughly 6.2 million people may have felt this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, 109 kilometers (67 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 271 kilometer southwest of Tangerang in Banten. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 9 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Aug 22, 2026 00:41 (Jakarta Time) - Aug 21, 2026 17:41 Universal Time.
Location:	271 km SW of Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. Coordinates 7°31'54"S 104°35'7"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.8 Detected by 30 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.057 .
Depth:	9 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light 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.

An estimated 360 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 6.1 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Indonesia .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Labuan in Banten, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 188 kilometer (117 mi) southwest of Labuan. Labuan experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Jakarta is located 289 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Tangerang is located 271 km to the north-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Bekasi is located 302 km to the north-east (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 intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured 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 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 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:

• Karawang, Jawa Barat, Indonesia: 1 person.

2 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 17 km (11 mi) south of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 59 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 4.2

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.

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 4 years

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 8th, 2022, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 297 km (184 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on August 2nd, 2019.

In total, 5 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.8 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 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 20/09/26 20:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tmlu
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260821_0000371
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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