Darwin rocked by 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Banda Sea

DARWIN city residents have reported feeling buildings swaying overnight after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Banda Sea

Darwin city residents have reported feeling buildings swaying tonight after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Banda Sea.

DARWIN city residents have reported feeling buildings swaying overnight after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Banda Sea.

The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Banda Sea, north of Timor-Leste, at about 11.27pm on Wednesday and prompted reports of large tremors in the Top End city.

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Geoscience Australia said the earthquake struck at a depth of 142km out at sea.

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Banda Sea on Wednesday night. (Image: Geoscience Australia)

Residents across Darwin, Palmerston and even as far as Howards Springs reported feeling their homes shaking and furniture moving during the quake on Facebook.

“Our apartment on the 25th floor in the city was swaying and crackling,” one person said.

“Yes, bed was shaking! The pool and aquarium rippling and the rumble was scary,” said another.

Nightcliff resident David Bateman said he couldn’t believe how long the earthquake lasted.

Did anyone fell that earthquake? @BOM_NT certainly did! Magnitude 6.9 at 11:23 pm CST in the Banda Sea, about 620 km north of #Darwin. More info on our website at https://t.co/njvprwc8HD or follow @GeoscienceAus pic.twitter.com/FuA82KyS4J

— Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Territory (@BOM_NT) May 6, 2020

“I was pretty much in bed, and woke to a deep rumbling sound, at first I didn’t have a clue what was going and sat up to see my bottle of water shaking. Then pretty much everything shook and the rumble got even louder,” he said.

“It felt like a couple of minutes to me, by the time it woke me till I was actually standing at the door still feeling the house shaking. It was the third or fourth one I’ve felt side living in the Territory for 10 years and easily the best one.”

People living in Dundee, 59 km southwest of Darwin, also felt the tremors.

“I felt the first shake and the second one gave the poor old donga out here at Dundee a good old wobble while the dogs were racing outside and along with the neighbours dogs barking their tits off,” one resident said.

MORE TO COME.