Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes near Ikwiriri, Rufiji District, Coast Region, Tanzania

Tanzania was shaken near Ikwiriri, Rufiji District, Coast Region, by an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 only 12 minutes ago, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported.
The quake hit at a shallow depth of 10. km beneath the epicenter near Ikwiriri, Rufiji District, Coast Region, Tanzania, in the evening on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, at 8:11 pm local time. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
Our monitoring service identified a second report from France's Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS) which listed the quake at magnitude 5.1. Other agencies reporting the same quake include the citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake at magnitude 5.5, and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) at magnitude 5.5.
Generally quakes of this magnitude are recorded by more than one agency and the results can vary, with subsequent reports that come in after the first one often showing more accuracy.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.
In Mbumi (pop. 4,300) located 45 km from the epicenter, Ikwiriri (pop. 45,000) 48 km away, Kilindoni (pop. 23,400) 65 km away, Kibiti (pop. 30,200) 73 km away, and Kilwa Masoko (pop. 21,500) 75 km away, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Bungu (pop. 27,900) located 77 km from the epicenter.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.


Earthquake data:
Date & time: Jan 20, 2026 08:11 pm (Dar es Salaam time) local time (20 Jan 2026 17:11 GMT)
Magnitude: 5.5
Depth: 10.00 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 8.31°S / 39.23°E (Lindi Region, Tanzania)
Primary data source: EMSC
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