USGS · September 21, 2026

Magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Ruteng, Indonesia

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake was recorded near 35 km NNE of Ruteng, Indonesia on Sep 21, 2026, 09:41 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8), at a depth of about 10.0 km, according to USGS.

USGSShaking VIIPAGER GreenShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-21 02:47 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 5.5 · body-wave magnitude
Location
35 km NNE of Ruteng, Indonesia
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 21, 2026, 09:41 AM — UTC+8
Time (UTC)
2026-09-21 01:41 UTC
Depth
10.0 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
-8.307, 120.579
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Estimated shaking
VII · Very strong
PAGER impact alert
Green — No casualties or significant damage expected.
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
465 / 1000 · notable event
Solution quality
59 seismic stations used · 50° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
USGS

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Estimated instrumental shaking VII (Very strong): Difficult to stand; considerable damage in poorly built structures.

Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 230,257 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Senggapi12.9 km W
Bentengjawa16.7 km S
Pota20.3 km E
Ruteng36.1 km SSW41,533
Toroloji45.5 km W
Riung50.7 km ESE
Borong56.3 km S
Iteng58.8 km SSW
Waelengga62.9 km SSE
Soa66.4 km SE

Earthquake history in this area

11 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Indonesia.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

295 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 35 km NNE of Ruteng, Indonesia

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 35 km NNE of Ruteng, Indonesia earthquake?

Magnitude 5.5 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 10.0 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Sep 21, 2026, 09:41 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8). In universal time: 2026-09-21 01:41 UTC.

Was it felt?

No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Difficult to stand; considerable damage in poorly built structures.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Senggapi, 12.9 km W.

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.8 (37 km WNW of Maumere, Indonesia, 1992), and 295 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.