FirstAlerts

Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Strikes Southern Ibaraki Prefecture; No Tsunami Evaluation Flagged

The earthquake occurred at approximately 02:00 on August 23, 2026, Japan time, according to conflicting reports.

3 reports on this incident · first at Aug 23, 2026, 6:56 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 24, 2026, 5:31 p.m. ET
An struck , at approximately 02:00 on August 23, 2026, Japan time, according to HNGN and Travelers Today. The Economic Times reported a different time and location, saying the quake struck , at 08:25 on August 24, 2026, India time. The magnitude was reported as 5.9 by HNGN and Travelers Today, while The Economic Times reported 3.5. The depth was , according to HNGN and Travelers Today, while The Economic Times reported 120 kilometers. The estimated impact level is , according to Travelers Today. No tsunami evaluation was flagged, according to HNGN and Travelers Today. The cause of the has not been determined.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 24, 2026, 1:22 a.m. ET

    Conflicting Reports on Earthquake Magnitude, Location, and Time

    Two news outlets have published conflicting accounts of an earthquake, with disagreements over its magnitude, location, depth, and time of occurrence.

    hngn.com reported a magnitude 5.9 earthquake at a depth of approximately 70 kilometers, striking southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, on August 23, 2026, at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time. The report said the magnitude was reviewed and that no tsunami evaluation was flagged.

    economictimes.indiatimes.com, however, reported a magnitude 3.5 earthquake at a depth of 120 kilometers, striking Leh, Ladakh, India, on August 24, 2026, at 8:25 a.m. IST.

    The conflicting reports have not been reconciled, and the details remain uncertain.

  2. Aug 23, 2026, 6:56 p.m. ETFirst report

    Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Rattles Southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Injuring More Than 30

    A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck southern Ibaraki Prefecture on August 23, 2026, at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time, according to reports from HNGN. The quake occurred at a depth of approximately 70 kilometers, HNGN reported.

    More than 30 people were injured, according to HNGN. The earthquake did not trigger a tsunami evaluation, HNGN reported. The magnitude has been reviewed, according to HNGN.

    The event is still developing, and further details may emerge.

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Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 224 Aug 2026, 21:31current

    Updated to include conflicting reports on time, location, magnitude, and depth, and added the green impact level.

  2. Version 224 Aug 2026, 05:22current

    Updated to reflect conflicting reports on magnitude, location, depth, and time; removed injury figure as it was not in the fact set.

  3. Version 124 Aug 2026, 21:27

    First published.

  4. Version 123 Aug 2026, 22:56current

    First published.

  5. Version 123 Aug 2026, 23:22

    First published.

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