Strong M6.2 earthquake hits Banda Sea, Indonesia
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 struck the Banda Sea, Indonesia, at 17:53 UTC on May 14, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 146 km (91 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.2 at a depth of 146 km (91 miles) while BMKG reports M6.7 at a depth of 163 km (102 miles).
Epicenter of M6.2 earthquake in the Banda Sea, Indonesia, on May 14, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 271 km (168 miles) ENE of Tual (population 88 999) and 356 km (221 miles) NNW of Amahai (population 47 653), Indonesia.
There is no tsunami threat associated with this event.
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 vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick with a concrete floor and precast concrete frame with wall construction.
Indonesia’s BMKG reported the earthquake as M6.7 at a depth of 163 km (101 miles). According to BMKG, the earthquake was felt at intensity II-III MMI in Saumlaki, Banda, and Tual.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.2 earthquake Banda Sea, Indonesia – USGS – May 14, 2026
2 M6.2 earthquake Banda Sea, Indonesia – EMSC – May 14, 2026
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
Published in the last 24 hours
- In September 1859, a solar storm lit up the night sky so brightly that gold miners in the Rocky Mountains woke up after midnight and started cooking breakfast, convinced the aurora glowing over their camp was the sunrise Epicenter
- A patch of warm Pacific water that could become the strongest El Niño in more than 70 years sits thousands of miles from any American town, yet it is already the main reason NOAA expects a wetter winter across the South and a milder one across the North
- A 19-year-old Nebraska teacher reportedly tied her pupils together with twine and led them to safety through a blizzard in January 1888 Epicenter
- NASA built the Opportunity rover to last 90 days on Mars, and Martian winds helped keep it alive for nearly 15 years by blowing dust off its solar panels, until a planet-wide dust storm in 2018 blocked sunlight and silenced the rover Epicenter
