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M5.9 Depth: 28.0 km

M5.9 Earthquake near Tanzania

UTC time: 2026-01-20 17:11:42 UTC Local time: —
M5.9 earthquake near Tanzania on Jan 20, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.9 Earthquake near Tanzania · 2026-01-20 17:11:42 UTC

About this earthquake

On January 20, 2026 at 17:11 UTC, a magnitude M5.9 earthquake occurred near Tanzania. With a focal depth of about 28 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USP and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
28.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-20 17:11:42 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usp
Coordinates
-8.22090, 39.34093

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 28 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 28 km
Shallow
28 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kilindoni49.1 kmNE23'426
Dar es Salaam155.6 kmN5'383'728

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥41
Earlier events M≥51
Compared since2026-01-20

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M5.32026-01-20 17:11:39 UTC20.9 kmRufiji

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
613
Country (24h)
—
—
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