Aussie town rocked by magnitude 4.8 earthquake

A small Aussie town has been shaken by a magnitude 4.8 earthquake, which was felt by residents hundreds of kilometres away.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has been recorded in a regional town east of Perth.

Just after 2am AWST, Geoscience Australia reported the earthquake started near the town of Wyalkatchem in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region.

The earthquake has been felt across southwestern WA, as far west as Perth and even 436km away in the outback town of Kalgoorlie.

The earthquake was felt hundreds of kilometres away in the state capital. Picture: Geoscience Australia

Geoscience Australia’s Senior Seismologist Dr Trevor Allen said the earthquake appeared to have been “felt extensively”.

“As of about 2.40 this morning, Geoscience Australia has received over 400 reports from the public, and we expect that this number will continue to increase over the coming hours,” he said.

“The region has been quite active for the last twelve months. In the last 12 months, Geoscience Australia has recorded over 130 earthquakes in the Wyalkatchem area... A couple of days ago, there was a magnitude four, and prior to today’s event, the largest earthquake in the region was a magnitude 4.5.”

No injuries or damage has been reported from the epicenter of the quake, a tiny Wheat Belt township named Wyalkatchem, which boasts a modest population of 358 people. Picture: Google

Dr Allen urged anybody who felt the earthquake to log that information on the Geoscience Australia website, as it helps inform emergency services about how they might be able to respond to future events if they increase in severity.

“If you have felt the earthquake, please tell us about it.”

Dr Allen said there was a relatively low likelihood of major damage.

“There might have been some damage to buildings in the area, however it is quite a remote area,” he said.

“Most of the effects would probably include items rattling on shelves, windows rattling... people close to the epicenter might have had items falling off shelves.”

No injuries or damage has been reported.

More to come.

Originally published as Aussie town rocked by magnitude 4.8 earthquake