Moderate M5.6 earthquake strikes near Tual, Indonesia
An earthquake measuring M5.6 struck near Tual, Indonesia, at 11:46 UTC on October 23, 2025. The event’s epicenter was located 210 km (130 miles) west-southwest of Tual at coordinates 131.0°E, 6.3°S, with a depth of 93.5 km (58.1 miles).
The location of the earthquake places it in the Maluku Islands region of eastern Indonesia, within the Banda Sea area. The nearest major settlement to the epicenter is the city of Tual on the Kai Islands, an area with scattered small villages and island communities nearby. No major population centers are situated directly above the epicenter.
Given the geography, the region is characterized by maritime infrastructure, such as small ports, coastal fisheries, and inter-island transportation facilities. Larger critical infrastructure is centered in Tual and surrounding towns but is distant from the epicenter.
There is no tsunami threat associated with this earthquake, based on its location and available data.
The maximum estimated shaking intensity was around IV, and the significance index is 482 (on a scale that runs through 1 000), based on magnitude, felt reports, and estimated impact.
Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonically active region characterized by complex interactions between the Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate as well as localized microplates. The area regularly experiences moderate to strong seismic activity.
This information was last updated at 12:07 UTC on October 23, 2025.