Deep M5.5 earthquake strikes Fiji region

An M5.5 earthquake was recorded at 10:13 UTC on October 26, 2026, approximately 283 km (176 miles) east of Levuka, Fiji, at a depth of 641.8 km (398.8 miles).

The earthquake’s epicenter was located at coordinates 18.3°S, 178.0°W, situating it beneath the Fiji region in the Southwest Pacific. This area comprises multiple islands northeast of New Zealand and northwest of Tonga. The nearest notable locality is Levuka on the island of Ovalau.

Given its location in the Fiji region, the nearest critical infrastructure potentially includes local transportation routes, small ports, and regional airports serving the surrounding islands.

There is no tsunami threat associated with this earthquake, based on its location and available data.

USGS issued a green alert for this event, indicating a low likelihood of casualties or damage. The maximum estimated intensity was I, and the significance index is 465 (on a scale that runs through 1 000), based on magnitude, felt reports, and estimated impact.

Fiji sits near the Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone, one of the most active seismic regions in the world, where the Pacific Plate is subducting beneath the Indo-Australian Plate, regularly generating deep-focus earthquakes.

This information was last updated at 10:34 UTC on October 26, 2026.