CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Geoscience Australia issued the following news release:
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit south eastern Victoria just after 2AM on Saturday 3 October, near the town of Leongatha in the south Gippsland region of Victoria.
The earthquake was widely felt across Victoria and into New South Wales, with over 21,000 felt reports registered.
Senior seismologist Dr Hadi Ghasemi said that the earthquake was felt as far north as Canberra.
Why was the earthquake felt as widely as it was?
The earthquake was widely felt due to a combination of factors, including its shallow depth, moderate magnitude (4.9), and the fact that it occurred during the early hours of the morning when people are generally more likely to notice ground ...