Arawata earthquake strikes southeast Victoria

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Arawata, approximately 6 km northeast of Korumburra and 100 km southeast of Melbourne, in the early hours of Saturday, October 8. The tremor, which occurred around 2 am, was felt widely across Victoria, including areas such as Moe, Shepparton, Ballarat, and Warrnambool, waking many residents.

Geoscience Australia received over 20,000 reports from the community. Residents near the epicenter reported hearing a loud bang, rattling windows, and swaying trees. The main shock was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, the largest being a magnitude 3.1 occurring less than an hour later.

While no serious injuries or community threats were reported, experts note that the Gippsland region is a zone of heightened seismic activity. Historically, the area has experienced similar events, including magnitude 5.0 and 5.4 earthquakes in previous decades.