‘Sudden jolt’: Hundreds rocked by 2.8 magnitude earthquake in Victoria’s east

Residents living hundreds of kilometres away reported feeling the tremor, with one “legit confused if something hit the building or not”.

A town in Victoria’s central east has woken to a mammoth 2.8 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning.

The 2.8 magnitude earthquake – initially reported as 3.1 magnitude – was recorded shortly after 5.20am on Wednesday near Woods Point, with a 10km depth.

A 3.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Woods Point on Wednesday morning. Picture: Geo Science Australia

Residents reported a shaky start to the morning, with some claiming they felt the tremor as they slept.

“Literally woke up from a dream about an earthquake,” a local wrote on social media. “I feel vindicated.”

Another said the tremor was so intense they thought something had crashed into their building.

“That was such a sudden jolt I was legit confused if something hit the building or not,” they wrote.

Residents in Melbourne as far west as Sunbury and south as Carrum Downs reported feeling the tremor, with the strongest reports in Healesville and Drouin in the state’s east.

Reidents as far as Sunbury in the state’s west could feel the shakes. Picture: Vic State Emergency

Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Phil Cummins said the tremor may have been caused by an earlier earthquake in the same area.

“Although it would take a bit more analysis to be certain, it does seem likely that this is an aftershock of the 2021, magnitude 5.9 Woods Point earthquake,” he told NewsWire.

Dr Cummins also warned residents to “drop, cover and hold on to keep themselves safe” during an earthquake.

No injuries have been reported.

Originally published as ‘Sudden jolt’: Hundreds rocked by 2.8 magnitude earthquake in Victoria’s east