A significant M5.3 earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean 82 kilometer from Banda Aceh, Indonesia in the early morning of Sunday October 4th, 2026. Roughly 1.5 million people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, 27 kilometers (17 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 82 kilometer south of Banda Aceh in Aceh. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 56 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Oct 4, 2026 06:37 (Jakarta Time) - Oct 3, 2026 23:37 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 82 km south of Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia. Coordinates 4°49'29"N 95°9'44"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.073 . |
| Depth: | 56 km (35 mi) A quite 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. |
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 1.5 million people exposed to shaking
An estimated 1.5 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.
Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 1,271,000 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Indonesia .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 0 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 188,900 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 1,271,000 | 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 Indonesia . Banda Aceh in Aceh, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 82 kilometer (51 mi) south of Banda Aceh. The intensity of shaking and damage in Banda Aceh is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, 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
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 82 km (51 mi) N from epicenter |
Banda Aceh Aceh, Indonesia. |
IV
Light |
| 108 km (67 mi) NE from epicenter |
Sigli Aceh, Indonesia. |
IV
Light |
| 120 km (75 mi) N from epicenter |
Sabang Aceh, Indonesia. |
|
| 131 km (81 mi) SE from epicenter |
Meulaboh Aceh, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
| 132 km (82 mi) E from epicenter |
Reuleuet Aceh, Indonesia. |
|
| 176 km (109 mi) E from epicenter |
Bireun Aceh, Indonesia. |
|
| 224 km (139 mi) E from epicenter |
Lhokseumawe Aceh, Indonesia. |
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.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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 November 27th, 2025, when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit 250 km (155 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on December 6th, 2016.
In total, 15 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 8 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
| 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 56 km (35 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 04/10/26 21:58 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tzfg
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261003_0000282
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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