Timor-Leste: Magnitude-5.3 offshore earthquake occurs in the Timor Sea off the southwest coast at around 13:49 Feb. 27

A magnitude-5.3 offshore earthquake occurred in the Timor Sea off the southwest coast of Timor Leste at around 13:49 Feb. 27. The epicenter was about 34 km (21 miles) southwest of Suai, Timor-Leste. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout much of Timor Leste and parts of eastern East Nusa Tenggara and far southwestern Maluku provinces in Indonesia. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.