M 5.4 Earthquake 68 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 68 km NNE of Kainantu. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.4 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.4 event ranks stronger than 85% of them (rank #198 by magnitude).
Read this earthquake report in 30 seconds
- Magnitude
- M 5.4
- USGS class
- Moderate
- Location
- 68 km NNE of Kainantu
- Archive rank
- #198 of 1,740
- Source
- USGS
- Published
- September 20, 2026
Out of 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 85% of them — 197 recorded a higher magnitude.
Record status: a snapshot from USGS, not a final record. Check USGS's own event page for aftershocks and any later revision to the magnitude shown here.
What Happened
A magnitude 5.4 mww earthquake occurred 68 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea, on 2026-10-19 at 12:45:53 UTC. The event was recorded at coordinates 5.7711°S, 146.2041°E with a depth of 116 km.
Location Details
The earthquake was centered 68 km north-northeast of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea. The depth of 116 km places it in the deep category (>70 km).
Impact Assessment
The earthquake was felt by 4 people, with a maximum reported intensity (CDI) of 4.6. The USGS issued a green alert level. No tsunami was generated (tsunami advisory status: 0).
What You Should Know
Earthquakes of this magnitude are classified as moderate and can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. Residents should be prepared for possible aftershocks.
Source
Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000tirh
Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗
Related Earthquakes
All Earthquakes →Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8
Two cross-category peer sets, both computed from Areazine's own archive: notices with a similar body length, and notices near the same severity and agency date. These are drawn from other categories, not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (852 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to September 20, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What people usually ask about a notice like this one.