May 26, 2003 Earthquake: Morotai, Berebere, Daruba, Indonesia
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Morotai, Berebere, Daruba, Indonesia on May 26, 2003 at 19:23:27 UTC, 31 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- May 26, 2003
- Time
- 19:23:27 UTC
- Place
- Morotai, Berebere, Daruba, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 31 km (19 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 2.354° N, 128.855° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 7
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 28
- Houses damaged
- 20
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
One person killed and 7 injured on Morotai. At least 28 houses destroyed and 20 damaged at Berebere and power lines broken at Daruba, Morotai. Felt (III) on Ternate and (II) at Manado, Sulawesi. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 21, 1994, Kau, Indonesia
- November 18, 2017, Morotai, North Maluku, Indonesia
- November 29, 2006, Morotai, Halmahera, Indonesia
- June 4, 2020, Morotai, North Maluku, Indonesia
- August 11, 2003, Wasile, Halmahera, Indonesia
- July 26, 2007, N, Maluku, Indonesia
- May 20, 1673, N. Moluccas Islands, Indonesia
- August 12, 1673, N. Moluccas Islands, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5696.