As 9News reports, Queensland has been struck by its largest on-shore earthquake in half a century, with the tremor registering a magnitude of 5.6. The earthquake hit at 9:50am on Thursday, with its epicentre near Kilkivan, west of Gympie and about 256 kilometres north of Brisbane. GeoScience Australia confirmed the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres. For locals, the experience was frightening and confusing. Kilkivan business owner Mela Catalla recalled the moment she felt the tremor. “I was just making a coffee and then suddenly felt like ‘I don’t know what’s going on’,” she told 9News

As 9News reports, Queensland has been struck by its largest on-shore earthquake in half a century, with the tremor registering a magnitude of 5.6. The earthquake hit at 9:50am on Thursday, with its epicentre near Kilkivan, west of Gympie and about 256 kilometres north of Brisbane. GeoScience Australia confirmed the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres. For locals, the experience was frightening and confusing. Kilkivan business owner Mela Catalla recalled the moment she felt the tremor. “I was just making a coffee and then suddenly felt like ‘I don’t know what’s going on’,” she told 9News. “I couldn’t really comprehend what was going on, then when I found out it was an earthquake, we had to get out.” Another business owner, Gemma Daniels, said she was inside her store when the walls began to shake. “As soon as everything started crashing together, I just ran out on the road,” she said. Fortunately, when she returned later, nothing in the shop had been damaged. The quake rippled far beyond Gympie, shaking thousands of kilometres along Australia’s east coast. While no widespread destruction has been reported, some households have found cracks in their ceilings. The tremor also disrupted power across the state, with about 13,000 properties and three hospitals losing electricity after sensors automatically shut down parts of the grid. Energy Queensland spokesperson Anthony Hamill explained the precautionary system. “The protection equipment is designed to firstly ensure the safety of the community as well as protect the network and assets from any further damage,” he said. More than 12,000 people reported their experiences to GeoScience Australia’s website, logging felt tremors across suburbs and towns. Residents from Bundaberg to the Gold Coast, and even as far south as Brisbane, confirmed they felt the ground shake. Seismologist Michelle Salmon said the event had an unusually broad reach. “The shake was felt from Cairns to Wollongong,” Salmon noted. “This is the largest earthquake we’ve had on shore in 50 years. We can certainly expect more aftershocks from this event." " An earthquake of this size can cause damage, while we don’t measure damage, what you should do is get in touch with the state emergency services if you see any damage at your house.” Locals across the region described surreal scenes as buildings rattled and furniture shifted. In Gympie, teenager Jemma Falla was playing guitar when her desk items began to vibrate. “The house started shaking… It felt like the dryer was shaking but a lot more,” she told 9News. “I’ve been to the Pacific airshow before, and it was the same shaking as when the jets go over. It was really strong… it sort of got worse, and then it died down.” Falla said she rushed outside, joining neighbours who were equally stunned. “I think everyone was confused… it was just disbelief. When I realised what happened, it was like ‘okay I’m not crazy, we just had an earthquake.’ It was so random cause nothing happens in Gympie. My friend’s mum was saying this is going to be the most interesting thing that’s happened to Gympie.” Even more than 250 kilometres away, residents felt the tremor. Jessica Ward, from Upper Caboolture, said she and her fiancé were watching television when their house began to rattle. “All of a sudden, the entire house started shaking, the windows were rattling, I heard the washing machine moving around,” she recalled. “We looked at each other like, was that an earthquake? It was really intense for a couple of seconds, and then it died down a bit.” Ward said her father in Deception Bay and her partner’s parents in Redcliffe also felt the quake. “I’m 26 years old, I’ve never heard of a quake in Brisbane,” she added. Reports of the tremor even extended across the border into northern New South Wales, with residents in Lismore saying they felt the ground move. Meanwhile, Ergon Energy confirmed around 13,000 homes in Cherbourg and Burrum Heads are still without power following the event.

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