M5.3 earthquake near Ikwiriri, Pwani

What happened

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 40 km S of Mbumi, Tanzania on 20 Jan 2026, 17:11 UTC at a depth of 10 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Ikwiriri, about 48 km away in Pwani, Tanzania.