Banda Sea: Magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs northeast of Wetar Island, Indonesia, at around 18:40 Sept. 4

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the Banda Sea off the northeast coast of Wetar Island, Indonesia, at around 18:40 Sept. 4. The epicenter was about 109 km (68 miles) north of Baukau, Timor Leste. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of southwestern Maluku Province and eastern East Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia and much of Timor Leste. 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.