M5.7 Earthquake: 271 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia

Updated 11:27 UTC · 29 Oct 2026

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 271 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia at 22:06 UTC on 28 Oct 2026, at a depth of 142 km, reported by USGS. USGS PAGER issued a green alert: little or no damage and a low chance of deaths. USGS did not set a tsunami flag for this quake. No M2.5+ aftershock had been listed within 50 km when this page was updated.

M5.7

Magnitude (USGS)

mww

142 km

Depth

intermediate

GREEN

USGS PAGER impact alert

estimated impact

Aftershocks M2.5+ so far

within 50 km

[ fig. 1 ] M5.7 EPICENTRE, AFTERSHOCKS AND PAST QUAKESThis quakeAftershock M5+AftershockPast M6+

USGS · updated 11:27 UTC 2026-10-29Tap a point for details · pinch or ctrl + scroll to zoomTrack this live in the app ›

Nearest places

Tual, Maluku, Indonesia271 km from the epicentre · quake was WSW of here · population 88,999271 KM
Amahai, Maluku, Indonesia368 km from the epicentre · quake was SSE of here · population 47,653368 KM
Masohi, Maluku, Indonesia370 km from the epicentre · quake was SSE of here · population 36,433370 KM
Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia380 km from the epicentre · quake was SE of here · population 347,288380 KM
Fakfak, Papua, Indonesia430 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 18,900430 KM
Dili, Timor Leste588 km from the epicentre · quake was ENE of here · population 150,000588 KM

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Strongest aftershocks so far

No M2.5+ aftershock listed yet.

Key context

Tectonic setting

Banda Sea and Molucca Sea. Eastern Indonesia is a tangle of small plates where the Australian Plate collides with the Banda Arc and two slabs subduct under the Molucca Sea. Quakes here range from shallow to more than 600 km deep, and strike-slip faults such as Palu-Koro (M7.5 Palu quake and tsunami, 2018) cut through Sulawesi.

The USGS moment tensor shows normal faulting: the crust was pulled apart and one block dropped down, typical of stretching crust or of bending in a sinking slab.

At 142 km it was an intermediate-depth quake. These are felt over a wide area, but the shaking at the surface is usually weaker than from a shallow quake of the same size, and they rarely cause tsunamis.

Shaking and impact

USGS PAGER estimates the impact from the shaking and the number of people exposed. For this quake it issued a green alert: little or no damage and a low chance of deaths (fatality alert: green, economic loss alert: green). PAGER is an early estimate and can change as reports come in.

The USGS ShakeMap estimates the strongest shaking at intensity III on the Modified Mercalli scale (weak).

USGS had no "Did You Feel It?" reports for this quake when this page was updated; remote and offshore quakes often get none.

Aftershocks

This page counts quakes of M2.5 or more within 50 km after the main shock, from the USGS catalog (last checked 11:27 UTC, 29 Oct 2026): 0 aftershocks so far.

Aftershocks are normal after a quake of this size. They usually become less frequent over days and weeks, but a strong aftershock can still happen, and in a few sequences a later quake is larger. No one can predict their exact time or size; follow the official agency for your area.

Earthquake history within 250 km

Since 1976, USGS lists 1,173 quakes of M5 or more within 250 km of this epicentre, about 23 a year. Since 1900 the same circle had 223 quakes of M5.7 or larger.

Largest earlier quakes within 250 km, USGS catalog since 1900 (M6+).
Magnitude	Place (USGS)	Date	Depth
M8.5	1938 Banda Sea Earthquake	1938-02-01	25 km
M8.1	1963 Banda Sea Earthquake	1963-11-04	110 km
M7.7	Banda Sea	1950-11-02	200 km
M7.6	Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia	2023-01-09	105 km
M7.5	273 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia	1927-06-03	35 km
M7.3	281 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia	1992-12-20	78 km
M7.3	Banda Sea	2019-06-24	212 km
M7.1	Banda Sea	2023-11-08	6 km

Official information

BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency)
EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
USGS event page for this quake (ShakeMap, PAGER, felt reports)
tsunami.gov for US tsunami bulletins

Data status

USGS review status: reviewed. Magnitude type: mww. USGS last updated this event on 29 Oct 2026 at 00:11 UTC. Magnitude, depth and location can still be revised; this page keeps the same address if they change.

Questions and answers

How strong was the earthquake near Tual, Indonesia?

USGS measured it at magnitude 5.7 (mww), 142 km deep. The strongest estimated shaking was intensity III (weak). Quakes of M5 to 5.9 are classed as moderate.

Was there a tsunami?

USGS did not set a tsunami flag for this quake, and at 142 km depth it was too deep to move the sea floor much. If you are on a coast and feel strong or long shaking, move to high ground anyway, and follow local officials.

Was the earthquake felt?

USGS had no felt reports when this page was updated. That is common for offshore and remote quakes. If you felt it, you can report it on the USGS event page.

Will there be more aftershocks?

Aftershocks are likely to continue for days to weeks, becoming less frequent over time. So far 0 aftershocks of M2.5+ have been listed. Most sequences do not produce a larger quake, but some do. No one can predict the time or size of the next one; follow BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency).

What should I do after a strong earthquake?

Expect aftershocks: Drop, Cover and Hold On when shaking starts again. Check for injuries and damage, stay out of damaged buildings, and use text messages instead of calls so emergency lines stay free. On a coast, move to high ground after strong shaking. Follow your local officials.

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Sources

USGS event page: magnitude, location, ShakeMap, PAGER and Did You Feel It? data for this event. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS ComCat (FDSN event web service): the USGS earthquake catalog, used for the 30-year counts, history and aftershocks. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS Geoserve: nearest places to the epicentre.
GeoNames: large-city coordinates, CC BY 4.0.

Page built 11:27 UTC, 2026-10-29. Full list: data sources and method.