On Friday Evening a Significant M5.9 Earthquake struck in the Banda Sea 397km from Dili (Timor-Leste).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 11th, 2026. Last updated September 12th, 2026.

In the evening of Friday September 11th, 2026, a significant M5.9 earthquake hit in the Banda Sea 397 kilometer from Dili, Timor-Leste. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 80 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Banda Sea, 220 kilometers (137 mi) off the coast of Timor-Leste, 397 kilometer east of Dili in Díli. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 112 km.

Date and Time:	Sep 11, 2026 20:56 (Dili Time) - Sep 11, 2026 11:56 Universal Time.
Location:	397 km east of Dili, Díli, Timor-Leste. Coordinates 7°17'11"S 128°56'18"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.9 Detected by 34 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.053 .
Depth:	112 km (69 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to 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 80 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 80 thousand 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.

Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 14,420 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 60 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Indonesia , around 70 thousand people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). In Timor-Leste , around 6 thousand people.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
62,630	III	Weak	Probably none
14,420	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 Timor-Leste . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Lospalos in Lautém, Timor-Leste. Lospalos is located 254 kilometer (158 mi) north-east of the epicenter.

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
254 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter	Lospalos Lautém, Timor-Leste.
304 km (189 mi) SW from epicenter	Baukau Baucau, Timor-Leste.
320 km (199 mi) SW from epicenter	Venilale Baucau, Timor-Leste.
397 km (247 mi) W from epicenter	Dili Díli, Timor-Leste.

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 IV.

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 7 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 7 people have reported shaking in 4 places, all within Australia.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Coonawarra, Northern Territory, Australia: 3 people.
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia: 2 people.
Humpty Doo-MacMinns Lagoon, Northern Territory, Australia: 1 person.
Nguiu, Northern Territory, Australia: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.5

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 4.5	2 days earlier Sep 9, 2026 16:54 (Dili Time)	94 km (59 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.9	Sep 11, 2026 20:56 (Dili Time)	-

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.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

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 24th, 2026, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 181 km (113 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on January 9th, 2023.

In total, 27 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.9 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 5 months.

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.

For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. 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 under the sea.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 112 km (69 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 12/09/26 03:58 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.