Aftershock warning after earthquake rocks Melbourne

An earthquake struck Melbourne late on Sunday night, shaking the city and waking residents shortly before midnight.

An earthquake was felt in Melbourne on Sunday night. Picture: European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre

The moment a major earthquake struck Melbourne late on Sunday night, shaking the city and waking residents, has been caught on camera.

In-studio cameras at sports radio station SEN 1116 showed host Damian Watson returning from break just as the 3.8-magnitude quake struck at 11.41pm, with the microphone seen visibly shaking.

“Welcome back — we’ve experienced a tremor in the studio, I’m not sure if you have at home,” Watson told listeners. “That felt like a bit of an earthquake.”

One man living in Melbourne’s CBD shared footage from his window moments after the quake hit showing hundreds of high-rise apartments with their lights on.

“Melbourne earthquake felt all across the CBD, everyone wide awake,” he wrote.

Another social media user posted home security footage showing her house violently shaking before her cat bolted down the stairs. “As you can see kitty is not impressed,” she wrote.

No injuries and little damage was reported from the earthquake, which is thought to be the most powerful to strike the Melbourne metropolitan area in more than 120 years — however people in the city are being warned of the risk of aftershocks this morning.

Melbourne #earthquake felt all across the CBD, everyone wide awake! pic.twitter.com/syBrtlX5Vt

— Paul Lejos (@PLedjen) May 28, 2023

Our Melbourne cameras have captured yet another #earthquake

...and a very apt song choice from @damo_wats too! pic.twitter.com/J0Q7VyqXdv

— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) May 28, 2023

Just looked back at my security camera from the #Earthquake

As you can see kitty is not impressed. #melbourneearthquakepic.twitter.com/TWdf9mGDVW

— Cait (@1080hertz) May 28, 2023

“A magnitude-3.8 earthquake has been recorded with an epicentre near Sunbury, Victoria,” the Victoria State Emergency Service said overnight.

“The earthquake occurred at 11.41pm, with widespread reports (of people feeling it). No injuries or damage have been recorded at this time.”

Sunbury is located about 35 kilometres northwest of the Melbourne CBD.

Melbourne residents swiftly hopped on social media to check that what they’d felt really was an earthquake. Many said they’d been woken up by the event.

Earthquake or did I just have a REALLY serious scaring myself out of sleep moment?

— Matilda Boseley (@MatildaBoseley) May 28, 2023

Earthquake in Melbourne just now! #earthquake#tremor

— Jim Mellas (@jimmellas) May 28, 2023

Ok so it wasn’t just me that felt that! It woke me up & I was terrified #earthquake

— Bethanie Blanchard (@beth_blanchard) May 28, 2023

Me: finally, I’m going to go to bed early and get as much sleep as possible

The tectonic plates near Melbourne: hold my beer

— Χρυσή ✨ (@chryssieswarbs) May 28, 2023

“Living in Melbourne for 15 years, I am like: 60 per cent a very very fat possum on the roof, 40 per cent earthquake,” Dr Behrooz Hassani wrote on Twitter.

“Anyone else just feel that earthquake? It woke out house up in Bayside Melbourne,” Katherine Hornbuckle stated.

“Omg earthquake,” Sally Rugg tweeted.

Half an hour after the earthquake, more than 1300 people had reported feeling it to Geoscience Australia.

A resident of Sunbury, Corey Lainez, told The Age he’d felt “one very big, violent shake” and it had left a crack in his kitchen wall.

“I thought a car or truck had hit the house, and before I could even stand up the dogs were running around the house barking,” Mr Lainez said.

Adam Pascale, a scientist with the Seismology Research Centre, posted a video on social media in the immediate aftermath.

“Woke me up, got me out of bed,” he said.

“Potentially there could be some minor damage at the epicentre. I haven’t heard any reports yet.”

This quake was stronger than the 2.8-magnitude one that struck Melbourne’s eastern suburbs earlier this month, though that one was still strong enough to shake people’s homes.

In September of 2021, Victoria was rocked by a record-breaking 5.8-magnitude quake, whose epicentre was near the small town of Mansfield. That one was felt as far away as Sydney and Tasmania. It shook buildings and knocked down walls.

It was followed by two 4.0 and 3.1 magnitude aftershocks 18 and 39 minutes later - both within 10km of the original tremors.

Originally published as Aftershock warning after earthquake rocks Melbourne