Significant M5.9 Earthquake hit in the Indian Ocean 160km from Labuan Bajo (Indonesia) on Sunday Morning.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 3rd, 2026. Last updated October 4th, 2026.

In the Indian Ocean 160 kilometer from Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, a significant MAG-5.9 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Sunday October 4th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 700 thousand people.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, right off the coast of Indonesia (2 mi offshore), 160 kilometer southwest of Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 46 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Oct 4, 2026 06:55 (Makassar Time) - Oct 3, 2026 22:55 Universal Time.
Location:	160 km SW of Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Coordinates 9°34'2"S 118°54'28"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.9 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 .
Depth:	46 km (29 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong 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 700 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 700 thousand 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 163,200 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 500 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Dompu in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Dompu is located 125 kilometer (78 mi) south-east of the epicenter.

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

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

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 5 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 5 people have reported shaking in 2 places 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:

• Bima, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Indonesia: 3 people.
• Kuta, Bali, Indonesia: 2 people.

18 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 18 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 20 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.3 was detected 75 km (47 mi) north of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3.2 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

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.

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 August 14th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 201 km (125 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on August 19th, 2018.

In total, 9 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 year.

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 04/10/26 22:48 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tzer
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261003_0000270
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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