On Sunday Morning a Shallow M5.7 Earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean 157km from Labuan Bajo (Indonesia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 3rd, 2026. Last updated November 2nd, 2026.

In the early morning of Sunday October 4th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit in the Indian Ocean 157 kilometer from Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Roughly 720 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, right off the coast of Indonesia (1 mi offshore), 157 kilometer southwest of Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 17 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:	157 km SW of Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Coordinates 9°32'24"S 118°55'28"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 14 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.083 .
Depth:	17 km (11 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very 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

The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:

One person was killed and one was injured, while 4 homes were destroyed and 285 homes and 24 buildings were damaged in Southwest Sumba.

Based on scientific estimates by the 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 720 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 720 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.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 92,510 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 430 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 . Located 122 kilometer (76 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Bima (West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.

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

Overview of nearby places

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 VI.

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.

35 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 35 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 9 km (5 mi) south of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 4.5

In the days before this main shock, 2 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 3.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

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 happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 14th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 197 km (123 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on August 14th, 2026.

In total, 13 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 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 9 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

Sources

Last updated 02/11/26 02:28 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.

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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