Melbourne has been struck by a rare earthquake, with tremors felt across South-East Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 5.9 magnitude quake, with an epicentre near Mansfield in North-East Victoria was felt as far away as Launceston, Adelaide, and Newcastle in regional New South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The destruction was limited, with no reported deaths, although a Chapel Street burger restaurant suffered significant damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thousands of Victorians were evacuated from their buildings as the earthquake struck at 9:15am on September 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Significant Was the Damage?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The earthquake caused limited damage, with few buildings enduring the same fate as the Chapel Street burger shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The SES (State Emergency Service) received over 100<\/a> calls for assistance, but most related to minor building damage, as opposed to total collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melbourne residents were fortunate that the epicentre was 130km away from the city, limiting the scale of the damage. Had such an earthquake occurred directly under<\/a> a major city, far more significant damage would be expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Were there aftershocks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There have been aftershocks, but none have been nearly as significant as the initial quake, with the largest aftershock measuring at a magnitude 4.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victorians have been told to expect aftershocks<\/a> to continue for a number of weeks. These will likely continue to decrease in magnitude over time, and only be felt close to the epicentre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Authorities have confirmed that there is no Tsunami risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How Common Are Earthquakes in Australia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Earthquakes in Australia are relatively rare, given Australia is not situated in a tectonic plate boundary. As such, the earthquake risk is much lower in Australia than in neighbouring countries such as New Zealand and Indonesia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Associate Professor Mark Quigley told the ABC<\/a> that a quake of such magnitude occurs every 6-10 years in Australia, but usually goes unnoticed by humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst earthquakes in Australia are rare, they can cause significant damage, with the 1989 Newcastle earthquake<\/a> killing 13 people, and damaging 35,000 homes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Melbourne has been struck by a rare earthquake, with tremors felt across South-East Australia. The 5.9 magnitude quake, with an epicentre near Mansfield in North-East Victoria was felt as far […]<\/p>\n