Strong M6.5 earthquake hits Kepulauan Talaud region, Indonesia
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 struck the Kepulauan Talaud region, Indonesia, at 14:58 UTC on January 10, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 51.6 km (32 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Epicenter of M6.5 earthquake in Kepulauan Talaud region, Indonesia on January 10, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 246 km (153 miles) NNW of Tobelo (population 34 150), 289 km (180 miles) SSE of Caburan (population 12 620), and 309 km (192 miles) SE of Glan (population 24 255), Indonesia–Philippines region.
32 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 61 000 moderate, 215 000 light, and 148 000 weak.
According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are miscellaneous and heavy wood frame construction.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.5 earthquake Kepulauan Talaud region, Indonesia — USGS — January 10, 2026
2 M6.5 earthquake Kepulauan Talaud region, Indonesia — EMSC — January 10, 2026
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.