A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck south-east Queensland on Saturday morning, with the epicentre near Kilkivan, about 170km north-west of Brisbane. The quake occurred at a depth of 10km at 9.49am, according to Geoscience Australia. More than 16,000 felt reports were recorded from Brisbane to Bundaberg.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the quake was unexpected and that authorities were awaiting reports of damage. 'There's been some amazing stories that have come through and we obviously are waiting to see ... damage and we hope everyone is OK,' he said. Nearly 13,000 homes and businesses lost power, and Ergon Energy crews worked to restore supply.
Geoscience Australia seismologist Michelle Salmon said this was the strongest onshore earthquake in Queensland for 50 years. 'We can certainly expect more aftershocks from this event,' she said. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed there was no tsunami threat.
Resident Sue Krucker, 100km from the epicentre in Mount Mellum on the Sunshine Coast, described the shaking as like a 'Mexican wave' through her home. 'It lasted quite a while. Doors were moving. The house was definitely moving,' she said, adding that no damage occurred and everyone was safe.
Earthquakes above magnitude five occur every one to two years in Australia, with an average of 100 smaller quakes recorded annually. Recent tremors include a 3.2-magnitude quake on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and a 3.6-magnitude event west of Kingscote in South Australia.
