Townsville experiences 4.4 magnitude earthquake

Parts of Townsville have been plunged into darkness as a 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit the city on Saturday night. WATCH THE VIDEO

Townsville has experienced a 4.4 magnitude earthquake, with North Queenslanders shocked to feel their homes shaking about 9.30pm.

Maps suggest it was about 17km from Townsville at a depth of 10km.

According to Ergon Energy’s outage finder, more than 4000 people have lost power following the earthquake. Impacted suburbs include Hyde Park, Pimlico, Mysterton, Rosslea, Hermit Park, parts of West End and Mundingburra.

Witnesses described feeling houses shaking about 9.30pm as the tremor hit the city.

One described feeling as though a car had crashed into their home.

According to Geoscience Australia, small shocks were reportedly felt as far away as Cairns and west to Charters Towers.

It is understood there is no threat of a tsunami.

Power outages in Townsville due to the earthquake

It is not the only earthquake to strike tonight, with a 3.3 magnitude hitting Musswellbrook in New South Wales.

According to a Queensland Government website, University of Queensland research indicates that Queensland’s highest earthquake hazard areas are along the populated eastern coast.

The two largest ever earthquakes in Queensland were in Gladstone in 1918 with a magnitude of 6.3, and Gayndah in 1935 measuring a magnitude of 6.1.

Punters have taken to Facebook to share their experience, with one person saying it was like a car was crashing into their house.

Multiple people said their pets were acting strangely before the event.

Another said: “oh crap, go look at the Ollera Creek Bridge”. The bridge on the Bruce Highway was badly damaged in recent flooding.

“Mundingburra ..... loud rumbling, strong vibrations, then a loud bang. Thought someone had bombed the barracks,” another said.

Someone said on Facebook that it “felt like the whole 5 story building was picked up and dropped in the city! It was crazy that’s for sure.”

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit Townsville on Saturday night.

In May last year, a section of cattle station country between Charters Towers and Herveys Range recorded a 2.5 magnitude earthquake.

At the time, Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Jonathan Bathgate said it was unusual but earthquakes had been recorded in the area before.

“There is not a great deal of seismic activity historically in that area, but there are some earthquakes on record, he said.

That included a 4.1 quake in 1971 south of Charters Towers and a 5.7 earthquake between Charters Towers and Bowen in 1931.

In August 2016, some of north Queensland’s most popular tourist destinations were shaken by a large magnitude 5.8 earthquake which occurred about 70km off Bowen. It was followed by a series of smaller aftershocks and felt widely across far north Queensland and as far south as the Sunshine Coast.

Originally published as Townsville experiences 4.4 magnitude earthquake