Earthquake hits NSw Hunter Region after two similar events

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The upper Hunter has suffered its third serious earthquake. The magnitude 4.5 quake could be felt as far away as Sydney, Dubbo and Wollongong. But the greatest force was centred on Musswellbrook, which has been living with regular tremors for weeks.

Transcript

00:00The NSW Upper Hunter has been hit by another sizeable earthquake.

00:06We woke up to the house shuddering, the bed moving.

00:09There was a bang which woke me up and then everything just shook.

00:12Many Musselbrook residents were startled just before 6 o'clock this morning

00:16when a magnitude 4.5 quake rattled the area.

00:20I thought that my brother was trying to wake me up because my windows were shaking.

00:24In the last earthquake I didn't even feel it at all at school

00:27but this time I actually felt the earthquake, it was actually insane.

00:31More than 2,500 homes and businesses were left without power for several hours.

00:37But it wasn't enough to stop the fun at one local festival.

00:41Was anything going to stop you?

00:42No, absolutely not.

00:44Normally they say it's a hail, rain or shine event

00:47so we've just got a tag on there now, earthquake as well.

00:49And it wasn't just Musselbrook feeling the force of the quake.

00:53Well we do know that it was felt in Sydney.

00:55The earthquake was felt as far north as Tamworth, to Wollongong in the south

00:59and as far west as Dubbo.

01:01A worker was treated for minor injuries at Mount Arthur coal mine

01:05which briefly suspended operations.

01:07We've got council staff out assessing things as we speak right now

01:11and they'll continue through to Monday

01:13so we're just keeping an eye on the heritage items

01:16along with the major infrastructure that can be impacted.

01:20There have been dozens of tremors around here since the first quake last month

01:24and experts are warning locals to expect more of the same.

01:27There is perhaps an elevated likelihood that we could see similar sized earthquakes

01:33occurring relative to the normal baseline conditions.

01:36Over the coming weeks and months we will see a gradual decline

01:39in both the rate of the earthquakes occurring

01:42and also hopefully the magnitudes of those earthquakes as well.

01:45There's been so many earthquakes lately it's kind of like it's the norm now.

01:49But hopefully not for much longer.

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