A significant MAG-5.1 earthquake struck under land 25 kilometer from Padangsidempuan in Indonesia in the evening of Friday September 4th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 25 kilometer (16 mi) west of Padangsidempuan in North Sumatra. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 122 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 4, 2026 23:24 (Jakarta Time) - Sep 4, 2026 16:24 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 25 km west of Padangsidempuan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Coordinates 1°22'33"N 99°2'43"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 66 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.07 . |
| Depth: | 122 km (76 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Padangsidempuan in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Padangsidempuan is located 25 kilometer (16 mi) west of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Medan is located 249 km to the north. Padangsidempuan is located 25 km to the east. Padang is located 297 km to the south-east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 25 km (16 mi) E from epicenter |
Padangsidempuan North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 50 km (31 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sibolga North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 108 km (67 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bandar North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 119 km (74 mi) NE from epicenter |
Rantauprapat North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NW from epicenter |
Singkil Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 176 km (109 mi) N from epicenter |
Pematangsiantar North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 179 km (111 mi) N from epicenter |
Tongging North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 190 km (118 mi) N from epicenter |
Kisaran North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 194 km (121 mi) N from epicenter |
Pekan Bahapal North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 196 km (122 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tanjungbalai North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 200 km (124 mi) NE from epicenter |
Teluk Nibung North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 201 km (125 mi) N from epicenter |
Kabanjahe North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 211 km (131 mi) N from epicenter |
Berastagi North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 218 km (135 mi) N from epicenter |
Tebingtinggi North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 238 km (148 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bukittinggi West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 240 km (149 mi) N from epicenter |
Deli Tua North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 244 km (152 mi) N from epicenter |
Perbaungan North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 249 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Sunggal North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 249 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Medan North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SE from epicenter |
Payakumbuh West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 251 km (156 mi) N from epicenter |
Percut North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 252 km (157 mi) SE from epicenter |
Pariaman West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 252 km (157 mi) E from epicenter |
Balai Pungut Riau, Indonesia. |
| 255 km (158 mi) N from epicenter |
Binjai North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 265 km (165 mi) N from epicenter |
Labuhan Deli North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 268 km (167 mi) E from epicenter |
Dumai Riau, Indonesia. |
| 270 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Belawan North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 270 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Stabat North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 283 km (176 mi) E from epicenter |
Pekanbaru Riau, Indonesia. |
| 297 km (185 mi) SE from epicenter |
Padang West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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.
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 August 18th, 2026, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 240 km (149 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on April 24th, 2023.
In total, 56 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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.
Tsunami very unlikely
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 | This earthquake appears to have struck on land near a coastal area (22 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 122 km (76 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 05/09/26 05:48 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000teck
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260904_0000236
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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