Earthquake shakes up Saturday morning

By Sheree Hoddinett 

If you felt the earth moving under your feet this morning, you weren’t alone! A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Queensland about 9.49am this morning (Saturday August 16) with the epicentre located at Kilkivan west of Gympie.

Although not rare, it is unusual for us to feel earthquakes here in the southeast corner of Queensland. In Morayfield, residents felt windows and doors shake, with cabinets and their contents rattling. 

Local residents were quick to jump online asking if anyone else had felt it. While many thought it was washing machines off balance, dogs having a good scratch behind the couch or neighbours playing their music too loud as the culprit, it seems Mother Nature had other ideas. 

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale is considered a moderate earthquake. It can cause slight damage to buildings and other structures. The quake occurred at a depth of 10km, with reports of tremors felt as far north as Bundaberg and Rockhampton, as far south as northern New South Wales and even out to Toowoomba.

More than 14,700 “felt” reports had been lodged with Geoscience Australia by 1pm today (Saturday).

Queensland Police said there have been no reports of major damage or injuries, but Queensland Rail were assessing the tracks and warned commuters of potential delays to services. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat to Australia.

For up-to-date information or to lodge a “felt” report, visit Geoscience Australia earthquakes.ga.gov.au