Magnitude 4.9 aftershock strikes offshore north of Ruteng

Ruteng — A magnitude 4.9 aftershock struck offshore north of Ruteng on 26 September 2026, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) and reporting by Detik Bali.

Why it matters: Residents and visitors in Flores faced another felt aftershock, while BMKG reported no tsunami potential and recorded 18,295 aftershocks in the sequence by 26 September.

The earthquake occurred at 03:39:29 Central Indonesia Time at a depth of 9 kilometres. BMKG located its epicentre in the sea, 46 kilometres north of Ruteng in Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, and said its modelling showed no tsunami potential.

BMKG classified the tremor as part of the aftershock sequence following the magnitude 7.7 Flores earthquake on 15 August. The agency’s monitoring recorded 18,295 aftershocks by 26 September at 00:00 Western Indonesia Time, with the largest measuring magnitude 6.2.

Aftershock sequence

BMKG said the 26 September earthquake was a shallow tectonic event. The report identified the epicentre at 8.23 degrees south latitude and 120.31 degrees east longitude.

The agency’s count was higher than the 15,722 aftershocks it reported through 15 September, 30 days after the main earthquake. In that earlier update, BMKG said 190 aftershocks had been felt by residents.

Detik Bali reported that residents ran outside during the latest tremor. The available reports did not establish damage or injuries from the 26 September event.

Sources

• Detik Bali
• BMKG
• Viva NTT