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M5.9 Depth: 14.8 km

M5.9 Earthquake near Lukhulase, Sumatera Utara (Indonesia)

UTC time: 2026-04-18 20:06:53 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.9 earthquake was recorded near Lukhulase, Sumatera Utara (Indonesia) on April 18, 2026 at 20:06 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 15 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by INGV. Indonesia: 125 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.1.

Details

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
14.8 km
UTC time
2026-04-18 20:06:53 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Indonesia
State
Sumatera Utara
City
Lukhulase
County
Nias Utara
Village
Lukhulase
Source
ingv
Coordinates
1.31484, 97.33360
Temperature
24.3°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 14.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 14.8 km
Shallow
14.8 km
14.8 km — shallower than the regional average (49.7 km)
Regional average: 49.7 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
Lahewa20.5 kmNW24'485
Gunungsitoli31.3 kmE136'707
Medan292.5 kmNE2'486'283

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Sinabung
    Distance: 237 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'460 m ·Last eruption: 2021 ·Indonesia
  • Singkut
    Distance: 251 km ·Caldera(s) ·Elevation: 2'181 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Indonesia
  • Sorikmarapi
    Distance: 255 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'145 m ·Last eruption: 1986 ·Indonesia
  • Malintang
    Distance: 275 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'988 m ·Indonesia
  • Talakmau
    Distance: 325 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'911 m ·Indonesia
  • Tandikat-Singgalang
    Distance: 385 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'879 m ·Last eruption: 1924 ·Indonesia

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours9
First 24 hours10
First 72 hours13
Strongest subsequent eventM4.4
M3.72026-04-18 20:25:24 UTC40.4 kmNias Utara M2.62026-04-18 20:32:16 UTC36.1 kmNias Utara M3.62026-04-18 20:50:57 UTC40.8 kmNias Utara M2.52026-04-18 21:27:59 UTC23.0 km M3.02026-04-18 21:33:38 UTC47.9 km M2.72026-04-18 23:02:51 UTC23.6 km M4.32026-04-19 00:01:50 UTC40.4 km70 km W of Gunungsitoli, Indonesia M4.22026-04-19 00:01:50 UTC32.6 km M4.32026-04-19 00:04:18 UTC30.9 km M2.62026-04-19 04:24:57 UTC22.0 km M2.72026-04-19 22:20:36 UTC125.9 km M2.92026-04-20 10:50:05 UTC78.5 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#4
Earlier events M≥446
Earlier events M≥514
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12026-03-03 04:56:45 UTC114.3 kmTeupah Selatan M6.12026-03-03 04:56:47 UTC101.4 kmAceh M6.02025-08-23 12:24:55 UTC112.7 kmNorthern Sumatera, Indonesia [Sea: Indonesia] M5.92026-04-18 20:06:50 UTC14.1 kmLauru Fadoro M5.82025-08-23 12:24:53 UTC113.2 km54 km SE of Sinabang, Indonesia

Historic earthquake map · Indonesia

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Indonesia

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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