Magnitude 4.9 earthquake shakes Victorian farming town

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 23:02 · Archive

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck near Korumburra in Victoria's Gippsland region, followed by at least five aftershocks.

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck near Korumburra, a farming town in Victoria's Gippsland region, at about 2am earlier this month. The tremor was followed by at least five aftershocks spread over several days.

Anakin Martin, a mother of five living in the area, was woken by the shaking. She said the noise was loud enough to wake her and her son, and described the sensation as the house 'rocking back and forth' on its elevated foundations. Her Halloween decorations were activated during the quake. She initially believed a semi-trailer was passing her rural home before checking her phone and seeing an alert confirming the earthquake.

Geoscience Australia seismologist Tanja Pejic said that whilst 90 per cent of tremors occur along tectonic plate edges, some areas including the Gippsland region regularly experience 'intra-plate seismicity'. She compared the phenomenon to pulling opposite corners of a piece of paper, which causes the middle to tear despite stress being applied only at the edges.

How it is being reported

• ‘House started shaking’: Aussie mum of five on moment quake rocked small Victorian townA mum of five says her “whole house started shaking” as a magnitude 4.9 earthquake rocked her small Aussie town.The West Australian · 17 Oct, 22:50
• ‘House started shaking’: Aussie mum of five on moment quake rocked small Victorian townA mum of five says her “whole house started shaking” as a magnitude 4.9 earthquake rocked her small Aussie town.Perth Now · 17 Oct, 22:50

In this story: Anakin Martin · Tanja Pejic · Korumburra · Victoria · Gippsland · Geoscience Australia

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