Magnitude 5.5 earthquake — Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck near Labuan Bajo, on the western tip of Flores island in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province, on 14 August 2026. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 22:37 UTC with its epicentre located roughly 49 kilometres north-east of the town, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. Labuan Bajo is a well-known gateway town for visitors to Komodo National Park and lies within a seismically active region shaped by the collision of the Australian and Sunda tectonic plates, which produces frequent earthquakes across the Indonesian archipelago. The USGS assigned the event a body-wave magnitude of 5.5, based on data from 43 seismic stations, with an estimated maximum shaking intensity of around V (moderate) on the Modified Mercalli scale near the epicentre.

The USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) system rated both the likely fatalities and economic losses from the earthquake as "green", indicating a low probability of significant casualties or damage, consistent with the event's shallow-to-moderate magnitude and its epicentre being some distance offshore or in a less densely populated area relative to the town centre. No tsunami warning was issued in connection with the earthquake, and the USGS recorded no felt reports at the time the data was compiled. Ground failure and liquefaction hazard assessments were also rated green, suggesting minimal risk of secondary ground-related hazards. As with many moderate earthquakes in the region, aftershocks are possible in the days following the main shock, though the USGS listing did not report significant follow-on seismic activity at the time of writing.