Magnitude 2.6 earthquake strikes MELBOURNE as residents report they felt their homes shake

Magnitude 2.6 earthquake strikes MELBOURNE as residents report they felt their homes shake

  • A magnitude 2.6 earthquake has struck Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs 
  • The epicentre was the Frankston area, with locals reporting their homes shook
  • Though it was a low magnitude quake, it occurred only 10km below the surface

An earthquake has rocked Melbourne’s south-east with residents reporting they felt their homes shake as if someone had driven through them.

The magnitude 2.6 tremor struck Frankston and its surrounding suburbs, about an hour south-east of Melbourne, just before midday on Thursday.

Locals were quick to take to the community’s noticeboard on social media to report they had felt the quake.

Though the magnitude was low, the tremor occurred only 10km below the ground.

Because it was so close to the surface, dozens of homeowners in the area reported they felt their houses shake.

‘Yes I felt it here in Seaford,’ one resident wrote.

‘The house shook for a second and I heard a bang.’

Another likened it to a car crashing into their home.

‘I felt the house move… thought someone backed into our house or something collapsed.’

The Mornington Peninsula, where Frankston lies, is considered an earthquake hotspot by seismologists.

Being a waterfront suburb, some residents were concerned even a low magnitude earthquake could spark minor tsunami waves.

However, Geoscience Australia wrote on social media that there was no risk of a tsunami.

There have been no reports of damage sustained as a result of the tremor, Victoria State Emergency Services says.

More to come

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk