Magnitude 6.0 quake hits southeast Australia; buildings damaged and aftershocks expected

An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 hit Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday morning. The tremor shook the southeast Australian city around 9:15 am (local time). As per local media reports, the quake rattled buildings and knocked down walls in the region.

According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was just about 10 km below the surface on the southeast coast of Australia in Mansfield. To be precise, the center was South of Mount Buller, about 90 miles from northeast Melbourne, informed the Geoscience Australia. The quake initially began at 5.8 magnitudes on the Richter scale and was graded up to 6.0 later. The primary shocks were followed by two aftershocks of 4.0 and 3.1 magnitudes.

No casualties reported in Melbourne earthquake

According to local media reports, there were no immediate casualties reported from the earthquake-hit regions. Speaking from the United States, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told BBC, "We have no reports of serious injuries and that is very good." He noted that quakes are a "very disturbing event" even though they are "uncommon" in Australia.

Meanwhile, social media flooded with pictures of damages caused by the earthquake. As per reports, about 35,000 suffered power outages initially. Rail tracks in Traralgon and Seymour have also been impacted. There were about 46 reports of infrastructure damages from the suburbs of Kensington, Ascot Vale, Parkdale, Prahran, Balwyn, Elsternwick, Northcote and West Melbourne. Around 26,000 people reportedly felt the quake, the Melbourne city department informed local media. Mild Tremors were also felt in Canberra, South Australia, Tasmania, and New South Wales (NSW).

Meanwhile, Victoria's State Emergency Service warned residents to brace for aftershocks. A "watch and act" Emergency warning has been issued in the state to ensure the safety of the residents. The Deputy Premier of Victoria, James Merlino urged raised alarms of potential risk for further earthquake." Speaking to 9News he said, "More aftershocks could occur for weeks, if not months."

(With inputs from agencies)

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