An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck the Indian Ocean on Thursday, November 27, 2025, at 11:02:45 IST, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The seismic activity occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, which makes the region susceptible to aftershocks.
Part of a Series of Earthquakes
The magnitude 5.3 quake was the third significant tremor recorded in the Indian Ocean region that day, following two earlier, stronger quakes:
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Magnitude 6.4: Occurred earlier at 10:26:25 IST at a depth of 10 km.
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Magnitude 4.8: Struck in the early morning at 01:24:24 IST at a depth of 10 km.
The epicentre of the magnitude 5.3 quake was located at Lat: $1.30^\circ \text{ N}$, Long: $96.87^\circ \text{ E}$, placing it in the Indian Ocean near the vicinity of the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, which is part of the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
Shallow Earthquakes and Tsunami Risk
Shallow earthquakes are generally considered more dangerous than deep ones because the seismic waves have less distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties in nearby landmasses.
The Indian Ocean region is an area of intense seismic activity, driven by the shifting of tectonic plates. The most devastating event in recent history was the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake (Magnitude 9.2–9.3), which triggered the catastrophic Boxing Day Tsunami, killing an estimated 227,898 people across 14 countries. Following the major $6.6$ magnitude earthquake that also hit Sumatra on the same day, the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning Centre announced that “there is no threat” of a potential tsunami generated from the quake.
