January 16, 2016 Earthquake: Buru, Ambalau Island, Maluku, Indonesia
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Buru, Ambalau Island, Maluku, Indonesia on January 16, 2016 at 23:22:29 UTC, 4 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
- January 16, 2016
- Time
- 23:22:29 UTC
- Place
- Buru, Ambalau Island, Maluku, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 4 km (2 mi)
- Intensity
- 3 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 3.873° S, 127.229° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 22
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- 230
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.
At least one person killed and 22 injured on Pulau Buru. More than 230 buildings damaged on Pulau Ambelau and Pulau Buru. Felt (III) at Namlea, Pulau Buru and (II) on Pulau Ambon. (reference #13456)
JAKARTA: Eight people were hurt and about 120 houses damaged when a 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook remote eastern Indonesia on Sunday, a government official said. The earthquake struck at a depth of 46 kilometres (29 miles) at 8:22 am local time (2322 GMT Saturday) in the Banda Sea near the Maluku islands, according to the US Geological Survey. Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency said there was no tsunami, but that the quake caused the injuries and damage on a small nearby island. No deaths were reported. "From the preliminary report we received, the impact of the quake was quite significant in two villages on Ambalau island," said agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. (reference #11378)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 29, 1899, Banda Sea, Indonesia
- February 17, 1674, Ambon Island, Seram Island, Indonesia
- September 25, 2019, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia
- March 14, 2006, Seram, Indonesia
- August 18, 1754, Ambon Island, Indonesia
- November 12, 2019, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia
- September 5, 1711, Banda Sea, Indonesia
- October 31, 2017, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia
- October 10, 2019, Passo, Indonesia
- October 8, 1950, Seram, Indonesia
- December 16, 1841, Banda Sea, Indonesia
- August 28, 1690, South Maluku, Indonesia
- March 12, 1983, Banda Sea, Indonesia
- January 28, 2004, Seram, Indonesia
- May 28, 1876, Buru Island, Ceram Sea, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 2016The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2016Recent 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 10171.