According to the Victoria State Emergency Service’s (VICSES News) Twitter feed, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near Melbourne in southern Australia on Wednesday.
“A magnitude 6.0 Earthquake has occurred near Mansfield in Victoria,” said VICSES News in a tweet, urging locals to “please be patient as lines may be busy.” Residents in Melbourne expressed their astonishment and disbelief when buildings across the city began to shake, in a city that had not experienced an earthquake of this magnitude in decades. So far, there have been no reports of injuries.
In the central business center of Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, videos on social media showed at least one building suffering minor damage and power lines being disturbed, with some people spotted on the streets following the quake.
The quake was strong enough to be felt 800 kilometers (500 miles) distant in Adelaide, South Australia, and more than 900 kilometers (600 miles) away in Sydney, New South Wales. In a follow-up tweet, VICSES News stated, “There is no tsunami threat.” An aftershock reaching roughly 4.0 magnitude occurred less than half an hour after the original shock, according to Geoscience Australia.
A magnitude 6.0 #Earthquake has occurred with an epicentre near Mansfield in Victoria. Widespread felt reports. If you have building damage or require SES assistance, phone 132500 and please be patient as lines may be busy. pic.twitter.com/8RUqnk4Iwb
— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) September 21, 2021
Unlike its neighbor, New Zealand, Australia is located in the heart of a tectonic plate and hence sees very little significant earthquake activity. According to Geoscience Australia, the country’s worst earthquake occurred in 1988 in the Northern Territory, measuring only 6.6 magnitude.
The earthquake in Melbourne came after a day of tumultuous protests in the city over months-long lockdowns imposed to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 Delta strain. In some of the city’s most violent protests in years, demonstrators blocked key roads and burned flares amid fights with police.
Just got sent this video from a friend in Melbourne 😳 pic.twitter.com/SWOpRdirkJ
— Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) September 21, 2021
Victoria has registered a total of 30,224 confirmed Covid cases and over 830 deaths to date.
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