Earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale rocks Melbourne
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An earthquake has struck in the heart of Melbourne with residents reporting shaking just before midnight.
The earthquake struck on Sunday about 11:47pm with an estimated magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale near Sunbury, 40km north west of the city.
But residents in the CBD claimed they could feel the tremor.
Dr Dee Ninis, an earthquake geologist, tweeted: ‘A preliminary M4.0 earthquake near Sunbury-Mickleham-Cragieburn around 5 mins ago, widely felt across Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.’
Residents flooded to social media to share their experience of the tremor.
Journalist and writer Sasha Petrova said: ‘My house just shook so violently I thought several bombs had exploded.’
Ms Petrova said it did not feel like the ‘trembling of a quake’ but rather ‘just two one second violent shakes close together, with some books falling off the shelf’.
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One startled Twitter user said he had been ‘woken up’ by the tremor.
‘The whole house was shaking! he said.
‘My phone alerted me with safety information, shaken got up to check on my family, alhamdulillah all ok!
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘Earthquake in Melbourne felt like a massive explosion.’
Those people living in the affected area with Android phones received automatic alerts, saying: ‘Expect light shaking. Initial estimate M4.5 about 21.6km away.’
Some people’s phones offered survival tips, including suggestions to get a pair of shoes, check for the smell of gas and advice to avoid damaged buildings.
Another said his phone received an earthquake alert and his ‘house was shaking here in Yarraville’.
More to come.
