5.9 earthquake causes some damage in Australia, no injuries

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A magnitude 5.9 earthquake caused some damage in suburban Melbourne on Wednesday in an unusually powerful temblor for Australia.

The quake hit about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Australia’s second-most populous city near the town of Mansfield at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), Geoscience Australia said.

Victoria state Deputy Premier James Merlino cited some damage reports, including a hospital that lost power. Media showed images of fallen bricks from a building in Melbourne’s inner suburb of South Yarra.

Seismology Research Centre Chief Scientist Adam Pascale said it was the largest onshore quake in Victoria’s recorded history.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there were no reports of serious injury.

The earthquake was the largest to rattle Australia since a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck 210 kilometers (130 miles) off the northwest coastal town of Broome in 2019.