4.7 magnitude earthquake hits large parts of New South Wales

A 4.7-magnitude earthquake has struck New South Wales, cracking windows, knocking out power to thousands and forcing some schools to evacuate.

The quake – initially measured at 5.0 magnitude before being downgraded twice – struck just before midday near Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter Valley, 250 kilometres northwest of Sydney.

More than 2,500 people reported to Geoscience Australia that they felt the quake from as far away as Coffs Harbour, Sydney and Canberra.

Most of the reports were concentrated in the Hunter Valley, said Hadi Ghasemi, a senior seismologist at the Australian Geoscience Agency.

“We've had a report of some items falling off shelves and stuff like that, and the screen door falling off,” he said.

“In areas closer to the epicenter, we get, as you know, moderate to mild ground shaking.”

The quake shook parts of buildings. (ABC Newcastle: Jesmin Cheung)

NSW Emergency Services Northern Region Deputy Commander Peter Keegan said crews responded to reports of minor damage to infrastructure after receiving 11 calls.

“There were a number of reports of damage in the Muswellbrook area – broken windows, a damaged chimney in the Maitland area,” he said.

“We have received no reports of injuries at all, just a few reports of minor damage in the Upper Hunter area.”

This chimney was destroyed at Mswellbrook. (Attached)

New South Wales Police confirmed in a statement that the damage was limited but urged dam owners to check for any structural problems.

“We urge dam owners in the area to ensure that the integrity of the dam is not compromised,” police said.

The epicenter of the earthquake was near BHP's Mount Arthur coal mine, which has a large tailings storage dam where work was halted after the quake.

A BHP spokesman told ABC that some of the company's workers were injured.

“A few team members at Mount Arthur Coal required first aid for minor injuries from falling objects – fortunately no one was seriously hurt,” a company spokesman said.

All areas on site are [being inspected] Before we can safely resume operations.

From our inspections [so far] “There are no issues with our tailings dam. We will continue to monitor all active work areas including tailings dams according to the planned inspection regime.”

Hunter Water said it has inspected its water storage dams.

On July 17, the water authority announced that it had taken “immediate action to reduce storage capacity at Grahamstown to 90% of capacity” in response to a comprehensive risk assessment that found it could be at risk in the unlikely event of an earthquake.

The company said visual inspections were carried out at Grahamstown and Chichester dams on Friday and there was no sign of damage at either site.

Shelves shake at Lavis Mitre 10 homeware store in Muswellbrook when the earthquake struck the Upper Hunter town. (Source: Lavis Mitre 10)

“I didn't want to move.”

Eighth grader Summer Rose Moffitt was at Muswellbrook High School when the quake struck and said it left her confused and scared.

“I was outside because we were studying physical education, and my friend and I were sitting on the benches when we heard a rustling sound,” she said.

Summer Rose Moffett was at school when the earthquake struck. (ABC Newcastle: Jesmin Cheung)

“The ground started shaking… We were sitting on these tables, and the tables started going up and down, and I was so scared.

“Everyone started screaming, some started crying and everyone was confused… Children were running out of the classrooms because it wasn’t safe there, because some of the walls were cracked.”

On social media, residents also reported their homes shaking, furniture moving and windows rattling.

Beryl Harten, from Muswellbrook, was among them and said she was too scared to move.

“There was an explosion and the whole house fell down with the front facade because of the air conditioner,” she said.

“I wasn't ready to move because I didn't know what else was going to fall.

“My legs are still like jelly, and I have a neighbor here who looks just like me.

“It was a bit scary, actually, but I knew right away it was an earthquake.”

The earthquake shook bricks from the walls of buildings in Muswellbrook. (Photo: Tom Alsleben)

Tom Alsleben was at work at the Royal Hotel in Muswellbrook when the earthquake struck.

“I was in the bar making some coffee for the kitchen staff and then we thought maybe there was a truck crashing into the building,” he said.

“Everyone was shocked by this, but they came out and made sure everyone was safe… There's not much damage at the moment.

“We've now had two or three phone calls asking if the place is still open.”

Buildings near the epicentre of the quake suffered minor damage. (ABC Newcastle: Jesmin Cheung)

Brooklyn Nicholson, who lives in a residential tower in Forster on the Mid North Coast, said the complex shook.

“I said to myself, 'Am I feeling like an earthquake now?'” she said.

Jenny Forner was at the Gunnedah Conservatory of Music in Gunnedah Town Hall and also had a severe scare.

“I thought the whole building was going to collapse around me,” she said.

“It's an old building, so you could see the cracks in the wall shaking.

“I ran to see if anyone else felt it and no one else felt it, and I thought I might have gone crazy.”

The Australian Geoscience Agency said thousands of people reported feeling the tremor.

Police and the New South Wales Department of Health said they had received no reports of injuries.

Find more local news

Browse our site and find more local news and information from ABC.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos