Earthquake hits Melbourne, tremors felt in Tasmania

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Melbourne has been felt in Tasmania, with an office block evacuated after tremors were felt on the fourth floor. LATEST VIDEO + PICTURES >>

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Melbourne has been felt in Tasmania, with an office block evacuated after tremors were felt on the fourth floor.

There are reports of tremors in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport — as well as Canberra, Sydney and even South Australia after the earthquake hit just after 9.10am AEST.

“Widespread felt reports. If you have building damage or require SES assistance, phone 132500 and please be patient as lines may be busy,” VicSES said.

A video posted online shows damage to a building in Chapel Street, Melbourne.

There are no immediate reports of injury from the earthquake that Geoscience Australia classified as a 5.8 magnitude quake, with a depth of 10km.

Eighteen minutes later, a second earthquake of magnitude 4.0 was reported just northwest of the initial quake.

Geoscience Australia shows where the 5.8 earthquake hit (red dot) and where tremors were reportedly felt (blue dots).

Melissa Green who works at Whitemark supermarket on Flinders Island said she was working on the computer this morning when she felt things move and suddenly felt nauseous.

“A colleague was standing next to me and we said ‘are we moving?’ Ms Green said.

“We looked out the window and saw a stack of pallets moving and the shelf and plant were swaying. It was a bizarre feeling.

“It only lasted about 20-30 seconds but it felt really strange.”

Steve was working in central Launceston and said he could feel the building shaking.

“We are on level four, you could feel it shaking around,” he said.

“I was on the phone with someone from Victoria and they said they thought there had been an earthquake.

Office workers evacuated from Launceston. Photo: Rosemary Murphy

“A minute later we had the same thing here.

“You looked outside could see things shaking.”

Others on lower floors said they didn’t notice it.

The tremor was also felt by residents on Flinders Island, including an office worker who said she felt a strange sensation at work about 9.30am.

“We felt a rumble and everything moved,” she said. “It was really weird. It made you feel a bit sick in the stomach actually.”