M5.0 earthquake - 259 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

What happened

A magnitude 5 earthquake struck 259 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on 27 Sept 2016, 16:22 UTC at a depth of 476 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was a deep earthquake; shaking at the surface is usually weak for its size.

The nearest town in our records is Saipan, about 260 km away in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.