Thousands left shaken by earthquake in Victorian tourist hotspot

Thousands of people were woken with a shock after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit Victoria in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A 5.0 Magnitude earthquake has left residents of a Victorian tourist hotspot shaken up — and caused damage close to the centre of Melbourne.

The quake struck near Colac and Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road just after 2am on Sunday morning with people as far away as Melbourne feeling the tremors.

Over 5,000 “felt reports” have been submitted to Geoscience Australia by people across Victoria.

The quake happened near the iconic Great Ocean Road but was felt as far away as Melbourne. Picture: Geoscience Australia

Radio host Jacqui Felgate shared photos from Brighton in Melbourne, where a wall appeared to have collapsed as a result of the quake.

The image showed bricks strewn across the footpath and the road.

“Brighton earthquake damage,” she captioned the image.

“Woke up here in Colac wondering what the loud bang was, then thought the shaking floor was that my husband probably fell over,” Hannah, a local resident wrote on Facebook.

“But nope … earthquake. It was intense!”

The earthquake caused damaged in Brighton, south-east of Melbourne's CBD. Picture: Instagram/ Jacqueline Felgate

It’s probably worth mentioning that today’s magnitude ML5.1 at 2:11am is the largest earthquake to have occurred in Victoria since the ML6.0 in September 2021 pic.twitter.com/K6hWVawuQv

— Adam Pascale (@SeisLOLogist) October 21, 2023

Other people living near the epicentre reported their houses violently shaking, with one woman saying she was worried her roof was going to cave in.

Siesmologist Adam Pascale said the earthquake was the largest to happen in Victoria since September 2021, when the state was hit by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake.

“We’re expecting aftershocks to continue for some months, so be prepared,” he said,

Geoscience Australia, a government agency carrying out geoscientific research, were urging anyone who felt the effects to submit a report online to assist their team of seismologists analysing the quake.

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 7km was recorded near Colac at 2:11am this morning. Over 5,500 ‘felt-reports’ have been received by @GeoscienceAus

A 3.6 magnitude after-shock was then recorded at 5:44am near Apollo Bay. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gErhIOMpWf

— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) October 21, 2023

The initial quake in Colac was followed by a 3.6 magnitude aftershock in Apollo Bay just before 6am.

There have been reports of minor damage but no injuries, according to the Victoria State Emergency Service.

The tremor happened near the iconic Great Ocean Road early on Sunday morning. Picture: Getty Images

The SES also warned locals to remain alert for aftershocks.

If one occurs, you should drop to the ground and take cover under a sturdy item like a table until the shaking stops, the SES said.

Sunday morning’s tremor is the second in Victoria this month after residents in an area in the state’s east woke to a “loud rumble” on October 7.

A 5.9 magnitude quake, one of the biggest ever recorded in the state, destroyed several buildings in Melbourne in 2021.