Biggest earthquake in Australia in 24 years shakes Melbourne

Biggest earthquake in Australia in 24 years shakes Melbourne City. The earthquake registered a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale.

The shocking quake hit at 23.15 GMT on Tuesday, September 21. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) the epicentre of the quake was located 10 kilometres deep and 38 kilometres from the mountain resort town of Mount Buller.

Australia’s public broadcaster ABC reported that the earthquake could be felt in areas such as Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia too.

GeoNet, the geological service of neighbouring New Zealand, said that the earthquake was the largest recorded onshore in Australia in a staggering 24 years.

Many people took to social media to share photos of the damage that they had encountered in Melbourne after the quake. The quake has been a double whammy for Melbourne as it is currently confined due to an outbreak of the coronavirus.

Earthquakes are rare in Australia and one resident from Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula explained how this was the biggest quake they had ever felt. Speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne the resident said: “Everything wobbled and rolled and the water in the pool shook back and forth…. I couldn’t believe it.”

Fortunately, according to Scott Morrison the Australian Prime Minister “no serious injuries” have been reported.

The government geological agency GeoScience Australia took to Twitter to announce that after the quake, luckily no tsunami warnings have been issued. After-shocks of 4 and 3.1 in magnitude were also felt in Australia.

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