A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Australia’s southern coast, according to local authorities, inflicting significant damage seen in videos circulating online, including in Melbourne, the country’s second-largest city.
The quake hit around 9:15am local time on Wednesday and was recorded at a magnitude of 6 by Australia’s Geoscience agency, which noted there is currently no tsunami threat to the region.
Did you feel the earth move this morning? A magnitude 6.0 earthquake was recorded at 9:15am in Mansfield, VIC. No tsunami threat to VIC per @BOM_au. Fill out a felt report at Earthquakes@GA👉 https://t.co/7FHfgUNeR6 pic.twitter.com/W5S8DI5Do6
— Geoscience Australia (@GeoscienceAus) September 22, 2021
Photos and videos have emerged on social media purporting to show the aftermath of the earthquake, which appeared to damage some buildings in Melbourne, whose streets were seen strewn with rubble.
Building damage in melbourne after the earthquake pic.twitter.com/jKglIxIB6I
— B || A Man That Can Do Both (@Brodhe) September 21, 2021
This photo is circulating of the damage on Chapel St. Hopefully no one is hurt. #earthquake Uncle in Traralgon said things were flying off his shelves and his house turned to jelly. pic.twitter.com/C1kHZRH7M6
— Henrietta Cook (@henriettacook) September 21, 2021
A local news broadcast was interrupted by the quake, with shaking visible in the footage as staff cleared out of the studio and one of the presenters is heard noting “that was a big one.” Other videos showing residents caught off guard by the jolt also made the rounds.
A magnitude six #Earthquake has rattled Melbourne and regional Victoria.
— News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) September 21, 2021
This is the moment when News Breakfast presenters @mjrowland68 and @Tonaaayy_ were rocked by it. pic.twitter.com/Z4gz0sWJve
Mother Nature telling us all to settle the fuck down. #Melbourne #Earthquake pic.twitter.com/NZ9XElR9nP
— Shaun (@MiamiHeaTweet) September 21, 2021
While the extent of the damage from Wednesday’s quake remains unclear, it was reportedly among the largest to hit on land in Australia in decades, rivaling a 2016 seism in the Petermann mountain range, which fortunately occurred in a sparsely populated region, avoiding catastrophic damage that could have resulted had it struck elsewhere. The largest quake ever recorded in the country came in 1988 – a 6.6 magnitude jolt that also hit a largely unpopulated area, though it did inflict damage to a major gas line.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!