On Thursday Morning a Significant M5.7 Earthquake struck in the Banda Sea 272km from Tual (Indonesia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 28th, 2026. Last updated October 29th, 2026.

In the Banda Sea 272 kilometer from Tual, Indonesia, a significant Magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurred in the morning of Thursday October 29th, 2026. Such earthquakes in regions like this usually have a minimal impact on people and the economy.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Banda Sea, 140 kilometers (87 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 272 kilometer west of Tual in Maluku. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 142 km.

Date and Time:	Oct 29, 2026 07:06 (Jayapura Time) - Oct 28, 2026 22:06 Universal Time.
Location:	272 km west of Tual, Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 6°19'23"S 130°23'45"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 23 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.065 .
Depth:	142 km (88 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.

Not many people felt this earthquake

All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Indonesia .

MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
I	Not noticable	None
II	Very weak	None
III	Weak	Probably none
IV	Light	Likely none
V	Moderate	Very light
VI	Strong	Light
VII	Very Strong	Moderate
VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
IX	Violent	Heavy
X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Tual in Maluku, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 272 kilometer (169 mi) west of Tual.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
272 km (169 mi) E from epicenter	Tual Maluku, Indonesia.

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 III.

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.

Aftershocks detected

This main shock was prefaced by 3 smaller foreshocks. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 12 hrs earlier nearby.

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 4.4	18 hrs earlier Oct 28, 2026 12:44 (Jayapura Time)	97 km (60 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.4	12 hrs earlier Oct 28, 2026 19:10 (Jayapura Time)	83 km (51 mi) E from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 3.5	4 hrs earlier Oct 29, 2026 02:41 (Jayapura Time)	96 km (60 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.7	Oct 29, 2026 07:06 (Jayapura Time)	-

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.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 September 11th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 193 km (120 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on January 9th, 2023.

In total, 27 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 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 5.7. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 142 km (88 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 29/10/26 05:08 (). 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.