Stunned west shaken in nation’s strongest quake

The equal-largest earthquake ­recorded in Australia has rocked WA from the Kimberley to Perth.

The quake struck off the north coast at 3.39pm AEST between the iron ore port of Karratha and the resort and pearling town of Broome, pictured. Picture: iStock

The equal-largest earthquake ­recorded in Australia has rocked Western Australia from the Kimberley to Perth, causing glass to smash, caravans to shake and an office tower to be evacuated.

The 6.6 magnitude quake struck 203km off the north coast at 3.39pm AEST between Port Hedland and Broome. Initial measures showed a 6.9 magnitude reading, equalling the 1988 quake in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory.

Stunned residents reported items jumping off walls, wine bottles shattering and caravans and cars rattling.

Derby resident Jody Gaunt, 53, was having a beer with friends when they felt the quake: “We were sitting outside and our chairs were rocking. We were thinking ‘Is this real?’ We’ve never had an earthquake up here, or a tremor.”

The shallow quake, about 33km in depth, did not trigger a tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories, the weather bureau stated.

It wasn’t just the Kimberly ­affected. Shaking was significant enough in Perth that police were called to a 14-storey office building in Burswood, west of the CBD, after significant swaying forced workers to be evacuated. There are no reports of injuries.

Geoscience Australia seismologist Phil Cummins warned aftershock tremors were likely but they would be less intense and more infrequent. He said quakes of this intensity were rare, likely once every 20 years.

Several aftershocks between 5.2 to 3.8 magnitude were reported in the hours following the ­ quake.

Additional reporting: AAP