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A magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Korumburra woke residents across Victoria, with dozens of aftershocks recorded and warnings of potential larger tremors in coming weeks.
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Korumburra in South Gippsland just after 2am on Saturday, waking sleepers across regional Victoria and rattling buildings in Melbourne.
It was the biggest earthquake to hit the state in three years. Geoscience Australia recorded the tremor at 2.01am, with an epicentre six kilometres north-east of Korumburra, about 103 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. The federal agency reported the earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometres. More than 16,000 reports of the initial quake have already been lodged with Geoscience Australia.
Residents capture tremors on camera
Victorians across the state were shaken awake as far as Newport in Melbourne's west and Whittlesea in the city's north-east. Kardella resident Jack Gilchrist lives about five kilometres from the epicentre and captured the earthquake on his driveway CCTV. Michelle Wade said she woke up to her Armadale apartment building and bed shaking. I could hear things falling down hitting the apartment floor above me, she said.
It is not something you expect when you are sleeping. It definitely took me a while to settle my nerves. Jane Barnes thought she was hearing possums on the roof until she felt the floor shaking beneath her feet in Caulfield South. Dianna Burr feared her home in Research, 24 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, was being burgled when she first felt the quake.
I was awoken by the bed shaking and thought my husband had unexpectedly come home but then thought that was unlikely so that turned to the fear that there was an intruder in my bedroom, she said. Seismology Research Centre chief scientist Adam Pascale warned that the seismic activity is far from over. He has recorded dozens of aftershocks, the largest measuring 3.1 at 2.56am.
Experts warn of further aftershocks
I can see aftershocks popping off every couple of minutes and they will probably go on for weeks, he said. There is potential for another of similar, or potentially larger, magnitude in the first few days or weeks afterwards. Geoscience Australia seismologist Dr Hadi Ghasemi said the quake was one of the strongest the region has felt for two decades. A community information notice was published on VicEmergency, which reported the earthquake occurred at 2.01am.
The Victoria State Emergency Service has not received any requests for assistance and there have been no reports of building damage. Seismic activity has spiked in Victoria since a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in September 2021 damaged buildings in Melbourne. That was the largest recorded within metropolitan Melbourne for 120 years, and aftershocks from that earthquake included a magnitude 3.8 quake near Sunbury and a magnitude 5.0 earthquake on the Great Ocean Road.
Authorities advise anyone in need of assistance to call the SES on 132 500. The standard earthquake safety message remains: drop to the ground, cover under a sturdy piece of furniture and protect your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
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brisbanetimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Korumburra Tremor Magnitude 4.8 Aftershocks Geoscience Australia
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