Melbourne: Rare magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits southeast Australia

Scenes in Melbourne after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake caused damage to buildings

An earthquake has caused damage in Melbourne in an unusually powerful shake for Australia.

The magnitude 5.9 quake hit 80 miles northeast of Australia’s second-most populous city near the town of Mansfield at a depth of six miles, Geoscience Australia said.While there was some damage to buildings, there were no serious injuries, authorities said.

Images showed damage to brickwork in Chapel Street in the inner suburb of South Yarra.

Emergency workers survey damage in Melbourne, Australia, where debris is scattered after part of a wall fell from a building Credit: James Ross/AAP Image via AP

Mansfield mayor Mark Holcombe told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he was not aware of any damage reports in the town, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there were no reports of serious injury.

The earthquake was the largest to hit Australia since a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck 130 miles off the northwest coastal town of Broome in 2019.

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