Strong M6.4 Earthquake struck on Sunday Evening near Madang in Papua New Guinea.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 20th, 2026.

A strong M6.4 earthquake struck under land 83 kilometer from Madang in Papua New Guinea in the evening of Sunday September 20th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 1.4 million people.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 83 kilometer (52 mi) south-east of Madang. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 104 km.

Date and Time:	Sep 20, 2026 19:17 (Port Moresby Time) - Sep 20, 2026 09:17 Universal Time.
Location:	83 km SE of Madang, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°54'8"S 146°5'32"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.4 Detected by 62 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.039 .
Depth:	104 km (65 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong 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 1.4 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 1.4 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.

An estimated 446,200 people were exposed to level V. At this level, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 1 million). In their region, light shaking and likely 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
0	II	Very weak	None
0	III	Weak	Probably none
990,000	IV	Light	Likely none
446,200	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 81 kilometer (50 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Goroka (Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center. Goroka 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

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
81 km (50 mi) W from epicenter	Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.	IV Light
83 km (52 mi) NW from epicenter	Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea.	V Moderate
135 km (84 mi) SE from epicenter	Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea.	IV Light
157 km (98 mi) SE from epicenter	Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea.
206 km (128 mi) W from epicenter	Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea.
271 km (168 mi) W from epicenter	Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.
378 km (235 mi) NW from epicenter	Wewak East Sepik, Papua New Guinea.
396 km (246 mi) SE from epicenter	Popondetta Northern Province, Papua New Guinea.

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 V.

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 27 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 27 people have reported shaking in 9 places, all within 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: 6 people.
Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 5 people.
Madang, Madang, Papua New Guinea: 4 people.
Port Moresby, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea: 4 people.
Lae, Morobe, Papua New Guinea: 3 people.
Mount Hagen, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 2 people.
Wau, Morobe, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.
Tari, Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.
Mendi, Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 3 hrs later 19 km (12 mi) north-east of this earthquake.

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
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 6.4	Sep 20, 2026 19:17 (Port Moresby Time)	-
Aftershock	M 5.4	3 hrs later Sep 20, 2026 22:45 (Port Moresby Time)	19 km (12 mi) NE from Main Shock.

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.

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 are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 22nd, 2025, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit 65 km (41 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.

In total, 8 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.4 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 year.

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 6.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 104 km (65 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 20/09/26 16:58 (). 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.