A magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred in Papua New Guinea at a depth of 57.78 km on September 26, 2026.

What it means

This is a notification of a magnitude 5.6 earthquake event with a depth of about 57.8 km, located near Kokopo in Papua New Guinea. The parameters exactly match a USGS-recorded earthquake from October 20, 1988, suggesting that this alert may be a re-issuance of historical data, rather than a new seismic event.

Accuracy & sourcesSourced

The claim originates from the USGS earthquake catalog, which is the definitive primary source for seismic events. The GDACS alert is re-reporting this event with the same magnitude, depth, and location as a 1988 earthquake, so the physical occurrence is solidly documented, but the 'new' framing is misleading—this is not a fresh earthquake.

How new