SYDNEY/MELBOURNE - An earthquake of magnitude 6 struck near Melbourne in Australia on Wednesday (Sept 22), Geoscience Australia said, causing damage to buildings in the country’s second largest city and sending tremors throughout neighbouring states.
The quake's epicentre was near the rural town of Mansfield, about 200 km northeast of Melbourne, and was at a depth of 10 km. An aftershock was rated four.
Images and video footage circulating on social media showed rubble blocking one of Melbourne’s main streets, while people in northern parts of the city said on social media they had lost power and others said they were evacuated from buildings.
The quake was felt as far away as city of Adelaide, 800 km to the west in the state of South Australia, and Sydney, 900 km to the north in New South Wales state, although there were no reports of damage outside Melbourne and no reports of injuries.
More than half Australia’s 25 million population lives in the southeast of the country from Adelaide to Melbourne to Sydney.
“We have had no reports of serious injuries, or worse, and that is very good news and we hope that good news will continue,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Washington...
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