Alerts

Significant magnitude 5.2 quake hits 108 km southeast of Pangaimotu, Tonga, in the evening

Published: 1 October 2026
Categories: Global Earthquake Activity

RSS feed source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 09:04 | 1 hour ago | By: EarthquakeMonitor

An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred on Thursday evening, October 1st, 2026, at 9:45 pm local time near Pangaimotu, Vava’u, Tonga, as reported by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).
According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a shallow depth of 10. km. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones because they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their reports.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage but was probably felt by many people as a light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Pangaimotu (pop. 690), located 108 km from the epicenter; Neiafu (pop. 3,800), 109 km away; Leimatu’a (pop. 1,400), 113 km away; and Fangale’ounga (pop. 2,000), 125 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update the magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake becomes available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide

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