Earthquake swarm in Bandung Regency

Since mid-August 2026, the southern Bandung Regency in West Java has experienced an earthquake swarm. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded 118 seismic activities between August 11 and September 17, with magnitudes ranging from 1.0 to 3.4. These tremors are characterized by shallow hypocenters, often between 3 and 5 kilometers, which causes the energy to be felt intensely at the surface. Residents have described the vibrations as feeling like “heavy vehicles passing by.”

Seismologists have linked this activity to local active faults, specifically segments of the Garsela (South Garut) Fault, though some activity has originated from unmapped areas. While the swarm includes multiple tremors, such as a magnitude 2.7 earthquake on September 17, experts from the Indonesian Association of Disaster Experts (IABI) noted that such sequences do not necessarily signal a larger impending earthquake.

On September 21, 2026, another magnitude 2.7 earthquake occurred at a depth of 4 kilometers, with an epicenter located on land approximately 27 kilometers south of Bandung. No casualties or structural damage were officially reported following this event. In response to the ongoing seismic activity, authorities have emphasized tsunami awareness and the importance of recognizing natural warning signs.