Culture

Watch The Moment The Melbourne Earthquake Hit The ABC News Breakfast Studio

Thankfully our king Tony Armstrong is safe and sound after the magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit the ABC studio.

by Michelle Rennex  22 September 2021
Melbourne Earthquake ABC News Breakfast on air footage

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If you thought the violent tradie protest happening down in Melbourne was the wildest news to come out this week, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake is here to prove you wrong. At 9.15 am this morning, residents across Melbourne took to social media to share their shock and fear over an earthquake that left buildings shaking and residents evacuating.

According to Geoscience Australia, the earthquake hit Mansfield, Victoria with a depth of 10 kilometres. This earthquake is the largest Australia has had this year and the Gippsland region has experienced three other shakes, ranging from 3.2 to 3.4, since 2014.

Despite occurring northeast to Melbourne, the shaking was felt 190km away in the state capital. People also reported feeling shakes across Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, and even across the ocean over in Tasmania.

To demonstrate just how powerful shakes were when they hit Melbourne, ABC’s News Breakfast uploaded footage of when the earthquake hit the studio during their post-show chat.

“That was a big one. It was quite frightening. I think you would agree,” host Michael Rowland said of the experience. “We were chatting away and all of a sudden the studio started shaking, not to shaking and a minor violently.”

While the extent of the destruction is not yet known, Victoria’s SES notes that there is no tsunami threat attached to the earthquake.

“Widespread felt reports. If you have building damage or require SES assistance, phone 132500 and please be patient as lines may be busy,” VicSES tweeted.

Some damage has already been reported on Chapel Street in Windsor, with 60 Minutes reporter Tom Steinfort and ABC News journalist Tyson Whelan sharing footage of damaged buildings and fallen debris in the area.

Thankfully there have been no reports of injuries just yet. But even Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton is fed up with 2021 just not letting up.