Meulaboh, Indonesia — A magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook the coast of Aceh province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra late tonight local time, rattling communities near the city of Meulaboh.

**What happened:** The quake struck at 11:29 p.m. local time (11:29 a.m. CT) about 21 kilometers southwest of Meulaboh, at a depth of roughly 76 kilometers. The U.S. Geological Survey places the epicenter just offshore along Sumatra's western coast — a region that sits on one of the most active fault zones on the planet, where the Indo-Australian plate dives beneath the Sunda plate.

**Impacts:** The USGS reports no tsunami threat from this quake. Shaking intensity data and felt reports are still coming in; a quake of this size at this depth is typically felt across a wide area but rarely causes major damage. There are no damage reports at this time, and TNW News is watching for updates from Indonesian authorities.

**What to do:**

- If you feel shaking: drop, cover, and hold on — get under a sturdy table and stay there until it stops.

- Stay away from windows and anything that could fall.

- Expect aftershocks. Smaller tremors can follow for hours or days — treat every one the same way.

- Check your home for hazards after the shaking stops: gas smells, cracked walls, broken glass.

*Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 20, 2026.*