Reviewed by USGSPhilippines1mo ago
M5.6 earthquake 41 km SW of Sarangani, Philippines
Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 21:41:27 UTC · 5.117°N, 125.228°E
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 41 km SW of Sarangani, Philippines on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 21:41:27 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 15 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of V (moderate). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.3 on August 5, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 15
- Max intensity V
- Est. shaking
- IV
- Light (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
4 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/4 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 8 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
255 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
10 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buayan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines | III · Weak | 6 | 110 km |
| Katangawan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines | IV · Light | 3 | 116 km |
| Glan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines | V · Moderate | 1 | 78 km |
| Maan, Southern Mindanao, Philippines | IV · Light | 1 | 105 km |
| Malbang, Southern Mindanao, Philippines | IV · Light | 1 | 85 km |
| Padada, Southern Mindanao, Philippines | III · Weak | 1 | 169 km |
| Koronadal, Southern Mindanao, Philippines | II · Weak | 1 | 158 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level green: low likelihood of casualties and damage.
- IV · Light shaking
- 1.1 million people
- III · Weak shaking
- 4.4 million people
- II · Weak shaking
- 4,100 people
Estimated shaking in nearby towns
- SaranganiPopulation 23,000IV · Light
- GlanPopulation 110,000IV · Light
- General SantosPopulation 697,000IV · Light
- AlabelPopulation 88,000IV · Light
- MaasinPopulation 65,000IV · Light
- MalapatanPopulation 81,000III · Weak
- KoronadalPopulation 195,000III · Weak
- PolomolokPopulation 173,000III · Weak
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 26 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.3 on August 13, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.47 km WNW of Kalbay, Philippines22d ago · 75 km N of this epicenter
- 5.239 km SSE of Sarangani, Philippines25d ago · 48 km E of this epicenter
- 4.44 km ENE of Baliton, Philippines27d ago · 71 km N of this epicenter
- 4.514 km SSW of Sarangani, Philippines29d ago · 27 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.485 km SSE of Sarangani, Philippines1mo ago · 70 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.216 km SW of Balangonan, Philippines1mo ago · 37 km N of this epicenter
- 4.818 km W of Sarangani, Philippines1mo ago · 30 km N of this epicenter
- 4.820 km SSW of Balangonan, Philippines1mo ago · 33 km N of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 1,994 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.31918 Mindanao, Philippines EarthquakeAugust 15, 1918 · 144 km W of this epicenter
- 8.11924 Mindanao, Philippines EarthquakeApril 14, 1924 · 197 km NE of this epicenter
- 8.01972 Mindanao, Philippines EarthquakeDecember 2, 1972 · 216 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.919 km WNW of Palimbang, PhilippinesAugust 16, 1976 · 184 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.947 km ESE of Kalbay, PhilippinesMarch 14, 1913 · 87 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.825 km SW of Kablalan, PhilippinesJune 7, 2026 · 57 km N of this epicenter
- 7.8161 km SE of Sarangani, PhilippinesApril 1, 1936 · 159 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.7228 km SW of Sarangani, PhilippinesJune 11, 1972 · 188 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 47 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 11,292 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1976M8.0
Mindanao: S
16 Aug 1976 · 181 km away · intensity VI
8,000 deaths$134 million damagetsunami
- 1856
Sangihe Pulau (Volcanic)
2 Mar 1856 · 164 km away
2,806 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1913M7.8
Sangihe Island
14 Mar 1913 · 102 km away · intensity IX
138 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 2026M7.8
Mindanao: S; Indonesia
7 Jun 2026 · 56 km away · intensity VIII
107 deaths$25 million damagetsunami
- 1928M7.4
Cotabato,N Coast Of Illana Bay
19 Dec 1928 · 208 km away · intensity VII
97 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1918M8.3
Mindanao: Cotabato
15 Aug 1918 · 144 km away · intensity X
52 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.