M4.4 quake recorded northeast of Labuan Bajo on 6 September 2026

Labuan Bajo — A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck northeast of Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday, 6 September 2026, according to independent earthquake monitoring services that compile data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The event was located about 60 kilometres northeast of Labuan Bajo, with a reported focal depth of around 29–29.8 kilometres and an origin time of 06:06 UTC, or about 2:06 p.m. WITA.

Data aggregators that mirror the USGS catalogue describe the earthquake as a shallow, light event in the Flores region, listing its epicentre near 8.10° south and 120.27° east. One regional news report citing an official social media update from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) also noted a magnitude 4.4 earthquake on the same date, with the epicentre 60 kilometres northeast of Labuan Bajo.

• Magnitude: 4.4
• Depth: about 29–29.8 kilometres, shallow crustal
• Coordinates: approximately 8.10° south, 120.27° east
• Location description: around 60 kilometres northeast of Labuan Bajo

Classification and likely felt effects

Earthquake information services that summarise USGS data classify the 6 September tremor as a light earthquake. A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 at shallow depth is commonly felt near the epicentre, and can cause rattling of windows, hanging objects or household items, though serious damage is generally uncommon in buildings that follow modern standards.

No "Did You Feel It" responses were logged for this event in one USGS-based catalogue, and there were no public reports compiled by that service. Regional outlets that relayed BMKG’s notice did not report casualties or damage, and described the shock in routine terms as part of ongoing seismic activity in East Nusa Tenggara.

Location and tsunami information

The reported epicentre lies inland in western Flores, northeast of Labuan Bajo on the coast of Komodo Strait. Other regional seismic records for the same day list additional events in the Flores region, including magnitudes 3.1 to 3.6 at depths from 10 to 130 kilometres, underscoring the area’s active tectonic setting.

USGS-derived monitoring sites state that no tsunami evaluation or warning was flagged for the 4.4-magnitude shock. Another compilation page linked to the USGS record notes explicitly that no tsunami statement was issued for this earthquake. Given its moderate magnitude and inland epicentre, specialists cited by these services consider a damaging tsunami unlikely, while emphasising that official tsunami alerts for Indonesia are issued by BMKG and other designated agencies.

Seismic context in Flores

The 6 September earthquake occurred several weeks after a major magnitude 7.7 event near Ende on 14 August 2026, which triggered a long sequence of aftershocks across the Flores region. By 6 September, BMKG had reported more than ten thousand aftershocks of varying magnitudes, many of them located within a few hundred kilometres of Labuan Bajo and the western Flores segment of the fault system.

International and Indonesian seismic catalogues list multiple small to moderate earthquakes around Flores on 6 September alone, including events of magnitude 2.6 to 3.6 at distances of 40–80 kilometres from Labuan Bajo and Ruteng. These catalogues provide useful background for understanding the tectonic environment, but they do not by themselves predict future earthquakes or define specific hazard levels for Labuan Bajo.

As with all earthquakes in the region, travellers and residents are advised in official guidance to follow BMKG alerts and local disaster-management instructions, and to be familiar with basic earthquake safety procedures appropriate for buildings and coastal areas in East Nusa Tenggara.

Sources

• Earthquake.now – M4.4 Earthquake — Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, 06 Sep 2026
• Seismowatch – M4.4 earthquake, 60 km NE of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
• EarthquakeTracker.org – M4.4 Earthquake — Labuan Bajo, Indonesia — September 6, 2026
• Tribun Manado – Gempa Bumi Baru Saja Guncang NTT Siang Ini Minggu 6 September 2026, Berikut Info BMKG
• EMSC – Earthquake Magnitude 3.6 – FLORES REGION, INDONESIA
• Mediata.id – BMKG: Gempa Susulan Flores M7,7 Tembus 12.968 Kali, 177 Kali Dirasakan Warga hingga 6 September 2026
• ObserverID – Flores Aftershocks Subside, BMKG Unveils Field Survey to Guide Recovery