Magnitude 5.0 earthquake strikes near Tahuna, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sangihe, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia

A very deep magnitude 5.0 earthquake was reported in the morning near Tahuna, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sangihe, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the quake hit on Saturday, January 31st, 2026, at 8:36 am local time at a great depth of 344. km. The strength of the earthquake may have been tempered by its relative great depth below the surface, which makes it feel weaker in absolute terms. 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.
A second report was later issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), which listed it as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. Other agencies reporting the same quake include Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency at magnitude 4.9, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) at magnitude 4.9, and the citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake at magnitude 5.0.
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.
According to preliminary calculations, we do not expect that the quake was felt by many people and did not cause any damage. In Tahuna (pop. 35,300, 108 km away), the quake was probably not felt.
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 31, 2026 08:36 am (GMT +8) local time (31 Jan 2026 00:36 GMT)
Magnitude: 5.0
Depth: 344.00 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 3.21°N / 124.6°E (Indonesia)
Primary data source: EMSC
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/293471/Magnitude-50-earthquake-strikes-near-Tahuna-Kabupaten-Kepulauan-Sangihe-Sulawesi-Utara-Indonesia.html