Placeholder Content Image

Stunning footage of rescued baby born during earthquake

<p>After neighbours of a residential area in a northwest Syrian town that was devastated by the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake heard the sounds of a wailing infant emerging from the rubble, they rushed to investigate – and discovered a newborn baby whose mother appears to have given birth to her while buried beneath the rubble. </p> <p>The baby girl was discovered amid the ruins of a five-story apartment building, with relatives reporting that her umbilical cord was still attached to her mother, who tragically did not survive the catastrophe. </p> <p>Also killed were the baby’s immediate family, making her the only one from her family to survive following the collapse of the building. </p> <p>Rescuers were only able to find and help the crying baby some ten hours after the quake had struck, and during the rescue a female neighbour cut the umbilical cord before the baby was rushed to a nearby children’s hospital to receive care. </p> <p>Footage of the infant emerging from the rubble with a rescuer has also appeared on social media, with Twitter user @rami498 appearing to capture the miraculous moment. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="rtl" lang="ar">ولِدَ تحت الانقاض وتوفت والدته.. جنديرس<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%84?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#زلزال</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%87%D8%B2%D8%A9_%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%A9?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#هزة_أرضية</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#سوريا</a> <a href="https://t.co/DdUeJIDs0w">pic.twitter.com/DdUeJIDs0w</a></p> <p>— رامي المحمد (@rami498) <a href="https://twitter.com/rami498/status/1622665696307027991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>The baby is now reported to be in a stable condition despite multiple severe bruising, including a large one on her back. Doctors at the children’s hospital believe the baby had been born roughly three hours before being found.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images; @rami498 / Twitter</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

This Aussie city could be at risk of “devastating” earthquake

<p dir="ltr">While excavating two large trenches to the south of Adelaide, researchers have discovered the city is at risk of an earthquake 30 times more powerful than the 2011 Christchurch quake that killed 139 people.</p> <p dir="ltr">Experts from Geoscience Australia, the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney <a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/news-events/news/latest-news/fieldwork-unearths-scars-from-ancient-earthquakes-near-adelaide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uncovered evidence</a> of huge quakes that predate local records while excavating along the Willunga fault.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We calculate the 55km active length of this fault could potentially host an earthquake as large as magnitude 7.2,” geologist Dr Dan Clark told <em><a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/adelaide-risks-earthquake-bigger-than-christchurch-nz-2011-geoscience-australia/news-story/67ea8b9baba16bdef1e6ec3858c42b9a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adelaide Now</a></em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-966fba5e-7fff-9787-fb01-cef9edc9309c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“An earthquake of this size would involve approximately 30 times the energy released by the earthquake that devastated Christchurch.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We're working with <a href="https://twitter.com/UniMelb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@unimelb</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/AusQuake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ausquake</a> to find evidence of ancient <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquakes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquakes</a> on the Willunga Fault to better understand the seismic risk to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Adelaide?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Adelaide</a>. 👉▶️ to hear from our Earthquake Geologist &amp; check out 👉 <a href="https://t.co/BEOI52E3zz">https://t.co/BEOI52E3zz</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GACommunitySafety?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GACommunitySafety</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DisasterRiskReduction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DisasterRiskReduction</a> <a href="https://t.co/8i2VtMMcDx">pic.twitter.com/8i2VtMMcDx</a></p> <p>— Geoscience Australia (@GeoscienceAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeoscienceAus/status/1534419061538422790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Though earthquakes are a rare experience for most Australians, Adelaide is one of the country’s most seismically active areas. The city straddles two major faults, with the Para Fault running under the CBD and the Eden Fault sitting beneath the city’s eastern suburbs.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the last decade, 10 quakes exceeding the “minor” level of 3.0 on the Richter scale have occurred within 150km of the city. The largest, a 3.7 tremor, was recorded in March at Mt Barker.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for the rest of the country, “moderate” tremors above 5.0 occur once every one to two years, while one “strong” tremor scoring above 6.0 will hit once every ten years on average.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Big quakes clocking above 6.0 don’t often happen close to populated areas in Australia thankfully,” Adam Pascale, Chief Scientist at the Seismology Research Centre, told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/researchers-discover-australian-city-at-risk-of-devastating-earthquake/news-story/d012f35a318ec110f6548a1914291cab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Earthquakes are very unpredictable though - we could get one in the Blue Mountains in NSW for example next week.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Pascale added that modern buildings were constructed to withstand moderate tremors, but there is still plenty that isn’t earthquake resistant, exemplified by the series of quakes in Victoria last year.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s a lot of infrastructure in our major cities,” Dr Pascale said, adding that Perth and Melbourne were also on the list of “chief candidates” for future tremors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the excavation, which saw researchers study the layers of sediment displaced by past quakes to estimate the magnitude of future ones, found that there was a minor but real risk of a “big one” in the future, Dr Clark said a massive quake “might occur once every few tens of thousands of years”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A magnitude of 6.2 of the size of the Christchurch earthquake, for instance, might happen every thousand years or every few thousand years,” he explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">As reassuring as the odds of a quake striking now might be, Dr Clark did warn that moderate shakes, like Adelaide’s famous 1954 tremor, could be as frequent as once a century.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We haven’t seen in most places in Australia the largest earthquakes that can be generated,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Critical infrastructure, facilities and the community, in general, should be prepared for these events, even if they are very infrequent.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0cf74fb8-7fff-b5d2-7931-9974d8c57f30"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Geoscience Australia</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Here’s how animals both big and small reacted to Melbourne’s earthquake

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In case you missed it, Victoria experienced the </span><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/breaking-two-earthquakes-hit-victoria"><span style="font-weight: 400;">largest earthquake</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in its history on Wednesday, with a quake registering at a 5.9 on the Richter scale taking place 128km from Melbourne. A total of seven earthquakes struck Victoria, with tremors felt as far away as Sydney, Adelaide, and Launceston. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ve already covered </span><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/the-best-memes-to-come-out-of-melbourne-s-unexpected-earthquake"><span style="font-weight: 400;">how humans responded</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to the surprise shakes, but how did animals respond? The answer is that animal responses to the tremors were as varied as their human counterparts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First up is Carol the cat, who noticed something was happening before her human did. Per the human, Brodie, “I am a dumb woman who thought for a sec *this toy was making the floor shake*.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Not a joke: the earthquake started as I was filming Carol playing with her new floppy fish toy. You can see her notice something’s happening here before I do. I am a dumb woman who thought for a sec *this toy was making the floor shake*. <a href="https://t.co/Z3BTPEN0Pl">pic.twitter.com/Z3BTPEN0Pl</a></p> — Brodie Lancaster (@brodielancaster) <a href="https://twitter.com/brodielancaster/status/1440457446066061313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Up next is footage from a Zoos Victoria livestream, featuring birds scattering to the four winds, zebras not quite sure how to respond, and a giraffe calmly surveying its domain for damage (presumably).</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Some rather confused animals on the <a href="https://twitter.com/ZoosVictoria?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZoosVictoria</a> giraffe cam <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquake</a> <a href="https://t.co/DdrVzm38t5">pic.twitter.com/DdrVzm38t5</a></p> — Charles Powell (@charlesalexpow) <a href="https://twitter.com/charlesalexpow/status/1440522467823394827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly we have the Collins St falcons, Melbourne icons and expectant parents. The pair of adult peregrine falcons make their home at 367 Collins Street, in Melbourne’s CBD, following in a long line of falcons that have been roosting there since 1991.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 387.15277777777777px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844327/242655128_971682250048150_7910123459754325749_n.jpeg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3eb690bba4444c2db39eb0464dcda500" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One enterprising viewer of the </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un8f85yADAU&amp;feature=emb_title"><span style="font-weight: 400;">falcon livestream</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> recorded the father’s reaction to the earthquake, which is incredibly adorable. Dad was sitting on the eggs (which might begin to hatch as soon as next week; follow the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1596099650450435"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook group</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for updates) when the tremors started, prompting him to hop off the nest and look into the camera as if to say, ‘what gives?’ He then paused for a few moments before divebombing off the building, in classic dad fashion.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">oh no the falcons <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/melbourneearthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#melbourneearthquake</a> <a href="https://t.co/8zKrVmaqMo">pic.twitter.com/8zKrVmaqMo</a></p> — Anneliese Mak (@AnnelieseMak) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnelieseMak/status/1440465422105513988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fortunately, mum turned up just a few minutes later, so the eggs weren’t left unattended for long. Dad probably just wanted to go and check out the damage over on Chapel Street.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many people were wondering why their beloved pets didn’t warn them that an earthquake was imminent – after all, don’t animals have a sixth sense about this sort of thing? It turns out that the answer to that is: it’s complicated, but probably not.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Before we get any of the usual (and wrong) takes on 'animals felt the earthquake' - no evidence currently exists in which animals have developed any vibrational-based sensory capacity. They might sense variation of P vs. S waves, but time interval between too small<br /><br />1/2</p> — Rami Mandow 🏳️‍🌈 (@CosmicRami) <a href="https://twitter.com/CosmicRami/status/1440467069326168074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There’s currently no evidence that animals have developed any vibrational-based sensory capacity, according to astronomer Rami Mandow. In addition, </span><a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/article-abstract/108/3A/1031/530275/Review-Can-Animals-Predict-Earthquakes-Review-Can?redirectedFrom=fulltext"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this review article</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">argues that the evidence suggests “at least parts of the reported animal precursors are in fact related to foreshocks”; that is, small earthquakes that precede larger earthquakes in the same location. So don’t be disappointed that your beloved household pet didn’t warn you in advance – they were most likely just as confused as you were.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images Images</span></em></p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

Victoria's earthquake still shaking parts of the country

<p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p>A man was injured while performing building work during Victoria’s largest earthquake in history, as emergency services warn there may be more aftershocks.</p> <p>The magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit at 9:15 am on Wednesday, with the epicentre being between Mansfield and Rawson in the state’s northeast.</p> <p>The 10km deep earthquake – the biggest in the state since records began – was felt across Melbourne and even as far as Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide.</p> <p>There were no reports of injuries, however, State Emergency Service chief officer Tim Wiebusch said on Thursday, a man in Mount Eliza suffered minor injuries.</p> <p>“A man that was working on a repair of a construction, in the shaking, moved and came on top of him” he told Seven network.</p> <p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was relieved the earthquake did not cause much damage.</p> <p>“Obiviously, we need to remain cautious because of the threat of aftershocks, but it’s pleasing to know that what was first feared was not realised, particularly in relation to any reports of serious injury,” he told reporters in Washington.<br /><br /></p> <p>At least eight aftershocks have been registered between 2.4 and 4.1 on the Richter scale, and further tremors are expected in the coming days, and possibly months.</p> <p>“We are asking people to know what to do: drop, cover and hold is the key message,” Mr Wiebusch said on Wednesday.</p> <p>There were more than 100 calls for assistance after the initial earthquake, with 55 of those in metropolitan Melbourne.</p> <p>Most were for minor structural damage to chimneys, facades and older buildings.</p> <p>Mr Wiebusch has urged anyone who discovers building damage to contact a licensed builder or technician, with emergency repairs still allowed under COVID-19 restrictions.</p> <p>Some building damage has emerged in metropolitan Melbourne and areas near Mansfield, with Beechworth hospital losing power and one of the crosses at St Patrick’s Church in Wangaratta falling down.</p> <p>Among the city structures damaged was the façade of a Brunswich Street building in Fitzroy and the exterior of Betty’s Burgers on Chapel Street in Windsor. No one was inside the restaurant when the earthquake hit, and managing director Troy McDonagh told AAP he expects the business won’t be able to reopen for months.</p> <p>Insurance company Allianz received 70 claims as of 3 pm Wednesday, mostly for minor cracking but some for more extensive damage.</p> <p>The earthquake was originally recorded as a magnitude 6 but later revised to 5.8 and then 5.9 on the Richter scale.</p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

The best memes to come out of Melbourne’s unexpected earthquake

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Melbourne’s had a rough 24 hours, </span><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/breaking-two-earthquakes-hit-victoria"><span style="font-weight: 400;">experiencing multiple earthquakes</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that precisely nobody was prepared for amidst ongoing protests in the CBD. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far, although some buildings have suffered damage. In fact, </span><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/australia-news-live-fears-melbourne-protests-may-continue-lockdowns-begin-for-northern-nsw-lgas-20210921-p58tku.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SES chief officer Tim Wiebusch</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> said lockdown was likely the reason there weren’t more injuries, telling media, “We were probably very fortunate that with the situation in Melbourne at the moment there aren’t a lot of people out moving during the day.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being Australian, everyone rushed to find the humour in the situation, so without further ado, here are some of the best memes and jokes from the past 24 hours. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This tweet from the Chaser team had everyone wondering if they were psychic, or had perhaps planned the earthquake as one of their stunts. It was posted on Tuesday, and reads, “Nation braces for next natural disaster after Scott Morrison goes on vacation”. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Nation braces for next natural disaster after Scott Morrison goes on vacation</p> — The Chaser (@chaser) <a href="https://twitter.com/chaser/status/1440148646767443973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They followed it up with this one posted soon after the earthquake, reading, “As Scott Morrison is informed in New York about the earthquake back home, he reassures the public that he will be catching the next flight back to Hawaii”.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">As Scott Morrison is informed in New York about the earthquake back home, he reassures the public that he will be catching the next flight back to Hawaii</p> — The Chaser (@chaser) <a href="https://twitter.com/chaser/status/1440508991386259458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some were concerned about the structural integrity of Melbourne’s iconic landmarks…</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Some of the devastating building damage from the Melbourne earthquake. <a href="https://t.co/mS9V48Of7v">pic.twitter.com/mS9V48Of7v</a></p> — Masericha ™️ (@masericha) <a href="https://twitter.com/masericha/status/1440493389078675458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But fortunately highly qualified earthquake inspectors were on hand to survey the damage.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Official earthquake inspector report at the old Astor. All is well. 1936, built to last. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/melbourneearthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#melbourneearthquake</a> <a href="https://t.co/c7whPQJA8f">pic.twitter.com/c7whPQJA8f</a></p> — Zak Hepburn (@ZakHepburn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZakHepburn/status/1440488105539096583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australians on the other side of the country were starting to feel left out.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Can confirm that in Perth we have not felt the earthquake yet. It usually takes about 2-4 years for stuff people are talking about in Melbourne to make it here.</p> — Lauren Béldi (@LaurenBeldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenBeldi/status/1440556502020853761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While others were feeling fortunate they weren’t in Melbourne just now.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">At what point do we accept that God hates Melbourne?</p> — James Colley (@JamColley) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamColley/status/1440459408614457346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When the earthquake hit, some people weren’t sure what had happened, with one Twitter user’s mum telling the family group chat that she thought her upstairs was haunted.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">my mum’s reaction to the earthquake… sent to the family group chat <a href="https://t.co/kakTY8ozu5">pic.twitter.com/kakTY8ozu5</a></p> — Mads (@MaddyUlbrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaddyUlbrick/status/1440456369652461574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While others knew right away what had happened, and who was responsible.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Dan Andreas Fault.</p> — Darren Levin (@darren_levin) <a href="https://twitter.com/darren_levin/status/1440460083402469386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/R20hHJzyqy">pic.twitter.com/R20hHJzyqy</a></p> — Leanne Tonkes (@leannetonkes) <a href="https://twitter.com/leannetonkes/status/1440510505827721222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, it’s important to always try to look on the bright side, just like this tweeter has.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">the Melbourne earthquake, 22/10/21 — we will rebuild... <a href="https://t.co/WzwWxhwfOq">pic.twitter.com/WzwWxhwfOq</a></p> — Evan Morgan Grahame (@Evan_M_G) <a href="https://twitter.com/Evan_M_G/status/1440455659812577290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And to try and remain calm in a crisis, like the ABC’s Tony Armstrong. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A magnitude six <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Earthquake</a> has rattled Melbourne and regional Victoria.<br />This is the moment when News Breakfast presenters <a href="https://twitter.com/mjrowland68?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjrowland68</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Tonaaayy_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tonaaayy_</a> were rocked by it. <a href="https://t.co/Z4gz0sWJve">pic.twitter.com/Z4gz0sWJve</a></p> — News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BreakfastNews/status/1440461207572398091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images</span></em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

BREAKING: TWO earthquakes hit Victoria

<p dir="ltr">A 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit the area around Mansfield, in north-east Victoria, at 9.15 am on Wednesday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">The quake was reported by Geoscience Australia 10 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tremor was reportedly felt across Melbourne, regional Victoria, Canberra, Adelaide, New South Wales, and Launceston.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Geoscience Australia recorded a second magnitude-4.0, 12 kilometre-deep earthquake nearby about 15 minutes later, followed by a third at depth of 6km and magnitude of 3.1 20 minutes later.</span></p> <p dir="ltr">The agency added that there is no tsunami threat.</p> <p dir="ltr">Victoria’s SES has said the epicentre is near Mansfield, about 150 kilometres north-east of Melbourne.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Region: Mansfield, VIC<br />Mag: 6.0<br />UTC: 2021-09-21 23:15:54<br />Lat: -37.42, Lon: 146.32<br />Dep: 10km<br />For more info and updates, or if you felt this earthquake, go to <a href="https://t.co/XDfYnAnC4h">https://t.co/XDfYnAnC4h</a></p> — EarthquakesGA (@EarthquakesGA) <a href="https://twitter.com/EarthquakesGA/status/1440458060787433478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span>Reports have emerged of significant damage in some parts of the state, with footage appearing on social media showing debris and damage outside the Betty’s Burger restaurant on Chapel Street in Melbourne.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844286/e_2jeyjuyaea-nd.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/cebc1bee8d044200b4bdfa876ca05e79" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: paul_dowsley / Twitter</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Apartment buildings and offices are being evacuated in Melbourne, where footage is also being captured.</p> <p dir="ltr">Residents have also reported shaking walls, with many waking up to the tremors.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Melbourne in one video. People evacuated after the earthquake and mounted police heading into the city. <a href="https://t.co/dkunUfhooQ">pic.twitter.com/dkunUfhooQ</a></p> — Sharnelle Vella (@SharnelleVella) <a href="https://twitter.com/SharnelleVella/status/1440462987920175106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Footage of the earthquake was captured by ABC News Breakfast, with presenter Michael Rowland initially asking, “is it an earthquake or a structural thing?”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Let’s go,” he then said. “That was a big one.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A magnitude six <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Earthquake</a> has rattled Melbourne and regional Victoria.<br />This is the moment when News Breakfast presenters <a href="https://twitter.com/mjrowland68?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mjrowland68</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Tonaaayy_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tonaaayy_</a> were rocked by it. <a href="https://t.co/Z4gz0sWJve">pic.twitter.com/Z4gz0sWJve</a></p> — News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BreakfastNews/status/1440461207572398091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Adam Pascale, head of the Seismology Research Centre, told the<span> </span><em>ABC</em><span> </span>that aftershocks were possible.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are still reigning it but we think it’s a mag-5.8 potentially at this point in Gippsland,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It shook here in the northern suburbs of Melbourne for about 15-20 seconds so it’s quite a significant earthquake.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The aftershocks are likely already occurring.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You’d expect them to start straightaway.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can already see at least two or three smaller events there.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In Licola and Woods Point they’re probably close enough to possibly have had some damage from this earthquake.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The main thing for people to remember is if they do start to feel some shaking. There’s usually a primary and a secondary wave. The primary wave will give you a few seconds to get under a table and hold on.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: henriettacook / Twitter</em></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr"> </p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Sunrise host reports at Tokyo Olympics in the middle of an earthquake

<p><span>Bizarre television footage has captured the moment a <em>Sunrise</em> TV host was caught in the middle of a 5.8 magnitude earthquake during the Tokyo Olympics.</span><br /><br /><span>Reporter Mark Beretta was standing atop one of the 10-storey temporary broadcasting towers outside the stadium when the grounds were rocked by a quake.</span><br /><br /><span>“Welcome back to the Olympic city where we are currently in an earthquake, an earth tremor,” the startled journalist said.</span><br /><br /><span>“The roof above us is moving and you might notice our lights and camera are moving as well.”</span><br /><br /><span>The earthquake continued for around 30 seconds, before Beretta could shakily continue undisturbed</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"Welcome back to the Olympic city where we are currently in an earthquake"<a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBeretta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarkBeretta</a> just powered through his sports report while Tokyo was being hit by a tremor 👊🏻 <a href="https://t.co/O4pUxM1yHD">pic.twitter.com/O4pUxM1yHD</a></p> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1422664463157653507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>Japan is prone to shakes, so thankfully most of the buildings for the Tokyo olympics are “earthquake proof,” Beretta said.</span><br /><br /><span>“That was quite an unusual moment, I have not been through an earthquake before,” Beretta told concerned co-hosts David Koch and Natalie Barr, who were watching from a Sydney studio.</span><br /><br /><span>“We’re in a tower, which at home would be made of scaffolding, but here it is made of construction steel.”</span><br /><br /><span>The 5.8 magnitude tremor hit at 5.33 am local time.</span><br /><br /><span>The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported that the epicentre of the tremor was out at sea, off Tokyo’s coast, at a shallow depth of 10km.</span></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

‘Breathing’ mountains could help us understand earthquake risks

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> As the Earth’s surface shifts over time, oceans have opened and closed while new mountains climb towards the sky.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But mountains can also sink back to Earth, usually due to stress caused by the same collisions of tectonic plates that triggers earthquakes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These events happen in cycles, and you could imagine it like the chest of a rocky giant breathing unevenly, explains Luca Dal Zilio, a geophysicist at the California Institute of Technology.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The best example of this phenomenon? The 2,200 kilometres of peaks that make up the Himalaya. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By understanding the complex forces driving this cycle, the local risk of earthquakes that threaten millions of people living nearby can be more well-understood.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since similar geological ‘breaths’ have been documented worldwide, the review Dal Zilio and colleagues recently </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00143-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">published in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nature Reviews</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> could be the key to understanding the processes behind many of Earth’s mountain ranges - and the risks they might pose.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Compiling more than 200 studies of Himalayan geology, the paper looks to lay out the intricate mechanisms behind this ‘breathing’.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lengthy expanse and geologic complexity of the Himalaya make it a terrific natural laboratory, says study co-author Judith Hubbard, a structural geologist at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.</span></p> <p><strong>Inhaling and exhaling over time</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Himalaya formed from a tectonic pileup about 50 million years ago, when the Indian continental plate crashed into the Eurasian plate. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To this day, India continues moving northward by almost two inches every year. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the land doesn’t slide under Eurasia, instead causing the Eurasian plate to bulge and bunch and drive the mountains slightly higher in a long inhale.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eventually, this pressure will hit a breaking point, where the land masses will shift in an earthquake in a geologic exhale, or cough.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A deadly example of this exhalation came in 2015, when a 7.8-magniture earthquake caused a part of the Himalaya to sink by almost 600 centimetres.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Different parts of a mountain range can exhale at different intensities. While some cough violently, others might experience a series of hiccoughs. They might not exhale the exact same way each time either.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Even the same patch can have different behaviours at different times,” says Rebecca Bendick, a geophysicist at the University of Montana. “And pretty much nobody has the foggiest clue why.”</span></p> <p><strong>Putting the pieces together</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To understand how this process works, scientists have to piece together mountain-building processes that happen on varying scales of time - from slow moving tectonic plates to near-instantaneous shifts of earthquakes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since these phenomena are measured differently, looking at the shape of the fracture between the two plates can help scientists bridge the gap.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the Himalaya, the fault spanning 2200 kilometres has several kinks and bends remaining from the original collision that formed the range. These features have continued to slowly evolve and can influence how an earthquake progresses today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the recent review, Hubbard found a paper suggesting that structures surrounding the fault - such as bends beneath the surface - limited the magnitude of the 2015 quake.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dal Zilio says that other structures that might be present across the rest of the range could similarly limit how far a quake might spread.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The ultimate goal is to know what kinds of earthquakes we can expect and what kinds of damage they will produce,” Hubbard says. “If we’re trying to learn about that exhale or cough process but the earth isn’t exhaling or coughing, it’s really hard to learn about it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To fill in the gaps, some researchers are looking at the scars left from past earthquakes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But there are many challenges that present major obstacles, especially when the terrain is too difficult to measure using current technology.</span></p> <p><strong>Shifting forward</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the cycle of inhalation and exhalation continues, the system will also change and make understanding it even more difficult. Some of the accumulated stress from every inhale will permanently deform the rock, even after the next exhale, as the release of all of the stress would mean that no mountain would still be standing, Hubbard notes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As India continues to inch closer under Eurasia, other landscape features will also change.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bendick says, “at some point, Nepal will cease to exist”, as the Indian plate’s movement over the next tens of thousands of years will cause the southern border to move ever northward and slowly squeeze Nepal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At that very long time scale, nothing is fixed,” she says. “‘Set in stone’ is not the right phrase.”</span></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Jacinda Ardern abruptly halted live TV interview due to earthquake

<p>New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was broadcasting live on television during a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Wellington on Monday morning.</p> <p>The earthquake was centred 30kms north west of Levin on the north island and was felt sharply in Wellington.</p> <p>Tens of thousands of New Zealander’s reported feeling weak rattling as far north as Auckland and as far south as Dunedin.</p> <p>Ardern remained unflappable as the earthquake hit, as she explained that the Beehive moves a little more than most.</p> <p>The Beehive is the executive government building in New Zealand.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern caught on camera as 5.8 magnitude earthquake hits near the capital city of Wellington (no immediate damage reported) <a href="https://t.co/5zq64ud0rb">pic.twitter.com/5zq64ud0rb</a></p> — Peter Martinez (@rePetePro) <a href="https://twitter.com/rePetePro/status/1264671970718875648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>“We’re just having a bit of an earthquake here ... quite a decent shake here. If you see things moving behind me,” she said.</p> <p>The camera shot shakes as Ardern looks around to judge her safety.</p> <p>“The Beehive moves a little more than most,” she joked.</p> <p>“It’s just stopped. No, we’re fine. I’m not under any hanging lights, I look like I’m in a structurally sound place.”</p> <p>Commenters on social media agreed that Ardern keeping calm was the most “New Zealand thing ever”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Omg ffs this is the most New Zealand thing ever. <br /><br />Prime Minister being interviewed during an earthquake 😅😅😅 <a href="https://t.co/BQJUS3PAcB">https://t.co/BQJUS3PAcB</a></p> — Chloe Wilson (@ChloeWilson273) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChloeWilson273/status/1264661334961958912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Jacinda has the skills to lead NZ; covid19, march 15, economy and she smiles off a large earthquake like it was nothing. What a person. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzpol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nzpol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NewshubNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewshubNZ</a></p> — Adamski (@damibott) <a href="https://twitter.com/damibott/status/1264648444552949760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2020</a></blockquote>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

82 killed as major earthquake hits Indonesia’s Lombok island

<p>The popular Indonesian holiday island Lombok has been hit with a powerful earthquake, which has killed at least 82 people and injured dozens.</p> <p>According to the US Geological Survey, the seven-magnitude earthquake struck 15km underground.</p> <p>Following the strong tremor were two light to moderate secondary quakes and nearly two dozen aftershocks.</p> <p>This earthquake was the second this week to hit Lombok, a popular tourist destination that draws crowds from all over the world.</p> <p>Officials revealed that most of the victims died in northern Lombok, which is a distance from the main tourist hotspots on the south and west of the island.</p> <p>Rescue officials said the majority of the damage occurred in Lombok’s main city of Mataram.</p> <p>Residents recalled how a strong jolt sent everyone rushing to exit buildings.</p> <p>“Everyone immediately ran out of their homes, everyone is panicking,” one man told AFP.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">There is damage in Bali. This is Galleria Mall parking lot <a href="https://t.co/eWC4Gu9bzc">pic.twitter.com/eWC4Gu9bzc</a></p> — Bali_chris (@Bali_chris) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bali_chris/status/1026083821362397184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>In several parts of the city, electricity was cut off and patients were evacuated from the main hospital.</p> <p>A tsunami warning was issued by officials, but it was later cancelled.</p> <p>Australia’s Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton, who is currently in Lombok for a counter-terrorism meeting, said the earthquake “was powerful enough to put us on the floor”.</p> <p>Speaking to Fairfax Media, he said: “We were up on the 12th floor, the lights went out and we were able to evacuate.</p> <p>“I think we were pretty lucky in the end.”</p> <p>Mr Dutton later tweeted that he and other members of the Australian delegation are safe.</p> <p>“Australian delegation is safe and is evacuated from hotel. Very grateful to Indonesian police and authorities and the AFP. We are not yet aware of the extent of the damage, but thoughts and prayers are with those impacted,” he wrote.</p> <p>Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told Nine Network that there had not yet been any reports of Australians being injured in the quake.</p> <p>Mr Turnbull said he will be contacting his Indonesian counterpart to offer Australia’s assistance for disaster relief.</p> <p>“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Indonesia, particularly the people of Lombok, where the earthquake occurred,” Mr Turnbull said.</p> <p>“We always reach out to our neighbours when natural disaster strikes.”</p> <p>A number of celebrities who are holidaying in Bali took to Twitter to share updates on the earthquake, including Aussie actress Teresa Palmer and musician John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen.</p> <p>“Woah! Anyone else feel that earthquake in Bali? Hope everyone is okay. Staying in a treehouse and we were SWAYING!” Palmer wrote.</p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Devastating earthquake rocks Italy

<p>A pair of "apocalyptic" aftershocks have shaken central Italy, crumbling buildings, knocking out power and sending panicked residents into the rain-drenched streets just two months after a powerful earthquake killed nearly 300 people.</p> <p>Two people were injured in the epicentre of Visso, where the rubble of collapsed buildings tumbled into the streets. But the Civil Protection agency had no other immediate reports of injuries or deaths in the quakes on Wednesday (Thursday NZT).</p> <p>The first quake carried a magnitude of 5.4, but the second one was eight times stronger at 6.1, according to the US Geological Survey.</p> <p><img width="499" height="254" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29275/earthquake-in-text-two_499x254.jpg" alt="Earthquake -in -text -two" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><em>Tremors were felt in Rome. Image credit: Twitter / Huffington Post</em></p> <p>"It was an unheard-of violence. Many houses collapsed," Ussita Mayor Marco Rinaldi told Sky TG24. "The facade of the church collapsed. By now I have felt many earthquakes. This is the strongest of my life. It was something terrible."</p> <p>Calling it "apocalyptic," he said: `'People are screaming on the street and now we are without lights."</p> <p>Old churches crumbled and other buildings were damaged, though many of them were in zones that were declared off-limits after the August 24 quake that flattened parts of three towns. Schools were closed in several towns Thursday as a precaution.</p> <p>"We're without power, waiting for emergency crews," said Mauro Falcucci, the mayor of Castelsantangelo sul Nera, near the epicentre. Speaking to Sky TG24, he said: "We can't see anything. It's tough. Really tough."</p> <p>He said some buildings had collapsed, but that there were no immediate reports of injuries in his community. He added that darkness and a downpour were impeding a full accounting.</p> <p>Italy's national vulcanology centre said the first quake struck at 7:10 p.m. local time with an epicentre in the Macerata area, near Perugia in the quake-prone Apennine Mountain chain. The US Geological Survey put the epicentre near Visso, 170 kilometres northeast of Rome, and said it had a depth of some 10 kilometres.</p> <p>The second aftershock struck two hours later at 9:18 p.m. with a similar depth.</p> <p>Experts say even relatively modest quakes that have shallow depths can cause significant damage because the seismic waves are closer to the surface. But seismologist Gianluca Valensise said a 10-kilometre depth is within the norm for an Apennine temblor.</p> <p>The August 24 quake destroyed the hilltop village of Amatrice and other nearby towns and had a depth of about 10 kilometres. Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said residents felt Wednesday's aftershocks but `'We are thanking God that there are no dead and no injured."</p> <p><img width="500" height="274" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29274/in-text-italy_500x274.jpg" alt="In -text -Italy" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / The Weather Channel </em></p> <p>The original August 24 6.2-magnitude quake was still 41 per cent stronger than even the second aftershock.</p> <p>Wednesday's temblors were felt from Perugia in Umbria to the capital Rome to the central Italian town of L'Aquila, which was struck by a deadly quake in 2009. The mayor of L'Aquila, however, said there were no immediate reports of damage there.</p> <p>A section of a major state highway north of Rome, the Salaria, was closed near Arquata del Tronto as a precaution because of a quake-induced landslide, said a spokeswoman for the civil protection agency, Ornella De Luca.</p> <p>The mayor of Arquata del Tronto, Aleandro Petrucci, said the aftershocks felt stronger than the August quake, which devastated parts of his town. But he said there were no reports of injuries to date and that the zone hardest hit by the last quake remained uninhabitable.</p> <p>`'We don't worry because there is no one in the red zone, if something fell, walls fell," he said.</p> <p>In Rome, some 230 kilometres southwest from the epicentre, centuries-old palazzi shook and officials at the Foreign Ministry evacuated the building.</p> <p>The quakes were actually aftershocks of the magnitude 6.2 earthquake from two months ago. Because they were so close to the surface, it has the potential to cause more shaking and more damage, "coupled with infrastructure that's vulnerable to shaking," said US Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle.</p> <p>"They have a lot of old buildings that weren't constructed at a time with modern seismic codes," he said.</p> <p>Given the size, depth and location of the quakes, the USGS estimates that about 24 million people likely felt at least weak shaking.</p> <p>This original quake was about 20 kilometres northwest of the original shock, which puts it on the northern edge of the aftershock sequence and two months is normal for aftershocks, Earle said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / CBS News</em></p> <p><em>First appeared on <a href="http://www.Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Stuff.co.nz</strong></span></a>. </em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2016/10/10-photos-celebrate-the-beauty-of-the-amalfi-coast/"><strong>10 photos celebrate the beauty of the Amalfi Coast</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2016/10/italian-bbs-are-letting-travellers-stay-for-free/"><strong>Italian B&amp;Bs are letting travellers stay for free</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-tips/2016/05/italian-ghost-town-home-to-just-one-man/"><strong>Italian ghost town home to just one man</strong></a></em></span></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

New Zealand rocked by 7.1 magnitude earthquake

<p>New Zealanders woke up to a rude shock this morning, as the east coast of the country was rocked by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which occurred just before dawn.</p> <p>While there are no initial reports of injury, the region has been rocked by a swarm of aftershocks of nearly 6.0 magnitude. The initial quake occurred at 4:37am, around 167km north east of Gisborne, at a depth of 55km, with tsunami warnings issued.</p> <p>Coastal residents made their way to higher ground via torch light, but less than three hours later they were advised they could return after a 30cm tsunami was detected.</p> <p>The Civil Defence organisation, responsible for emergency management, said, “The greatest wave height has already occurred, further waves are anticipated to be up to 20 centimetres. Areas under 'marine and beach threat' can expect unusually strong currents and unpredictable water flows near the shore. This means a threat to beach, harbour, estuary and small boat activities.”</p> <p>Radio New Zealand correspondent Murray Robertson, told <a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>News.com.au</strong></span></a>, “I got up and the shaking continued. And I moved around to other parts of the house and the cupboards were moving around a little bit and there was banging and clattering coming from my old villa and it just seemed to go on for quite some time, about a minute.”</p> <p>Te Araroa resident Amohi Cook added, “I woke up about 4.28am, looked at the clock and the house was rocking. It was one of the freakiest ones I’ve ever felt. The local [Department of Conservation] man called up by husband, who is the chief of the Te Araroa fire brigade, and he went and set the alarms off three times to get everyone up.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / BBC News </em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/07/10-abandoned-sites-around-the-world/"><strong>10 amazing abandoned sites around the world</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/05/destinations-most-at-risk-from-a-natural-disaster/"><strong>Destinations most at risk from a natural disaster</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/04/vanuatu-hit-by-large-earthquake-igniting-fear-of-large-tsunami-waves/"><strong>Vanuatu hit by large earthquake igniting fear of large tsunami waves</strong></a></em></span></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Vanuatu hit by large earthquake igniting fear of large tsunami waves

<p>A large earthquake has hit near Vanuatu, but initial fears that it could generate large tsunami waves appear to have passed.</p> <p>The quake was 10km deep and hit shortly after 7.30am, NZ time. It had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, but that had since been revised to 7.0.</p> <p>The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially said waves of between 1m and 3m above the tide level were possible along some coasts of Vanuatu.</p> <p>Any waves were forecast to be under 30cm for New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.</p> <p>By 9.30am NZ time the Centre had updated its information to say the tsunami threat had mostly passed.</p> <p>The quake was centred about 95km southeast of the town of Santo, USGS said.</p> <p>A spokesman at Vanuatu's Bauerfield International Airport in Port Vila said the quake did not feel major. "It was just a small one," he said.</p> <p>The quake had not disrupted flights and the spokesman said he was not aware of any damage.</p> <p>Friday's quake was the fifth this year measuring magnitude 7 or more.</p> <p>The biggest quakes were in Ecuador, on April 16, and Sumatra a month earlier. Both measured magnitude 7.8. More than 650 people died in the Ecuador quake.</p> <p>First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></em></strong></a>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/jackie-kennedy-sister-opens-up-about-relationship/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Jackie Kennedy’s sister reveals details of tumultuous relationship with former First Lady</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/noahs-ark-replica-set-to-hit-high-seas/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Noah’s ark replica set to hit the high seas</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/new-zealand-five-dollar-banknote-of-the-year/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>New Zealand $5 note named “Banknote of the year”</strong></em></span></a></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

6.2 magnitude earthquake rocks Japan

<p>An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 has hit southwestern Japan at 9.26pm on Thursday, claiming the lives of at least two people, injuring many more and damaging buildings. </p> <p>The initial tremor struck 11km east of the city of Kumamoto, with seven aftershocks felt in the hours after the blast, the largest of which was magnitude six. </p> <p>Public broadcaster NHK reported that one person was killed after being crushed by a collapsing building, and the other by a fire that broke out after the quake, with at least 400 people being treated at local hospitals.</p> <p>Japanese media showed residents, some of them wrapped in blankets, huddling in parking lots and other open space for fear of further building collapses. About 16,500 households in and around Mashiki were without electricity.</p> <p>Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters "We will do our utmost and carry on with life-saving and rescue operations throughout the night.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/finance/insurance/2016/03/how-to-avoid-hidden-costs-at-the-hospital/">How to avoid hidden costs at the hospital</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/finance/insurance/2016/03/private-health-insurance-premium-rise/">Private health insurance premiums to rise</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/finance/insurance/2016/02/natural-therapies-stripped-of-benefits/">Natural therapies stripped of benefits</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> </strong></span></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Mount Everest has shifted since Nepal earthquake

<p>The phrase “to move mountains” is typically used to demonstrate someone’s strong will to accomplish a task. But it’s just a metaphor; no one really thinks mountains move, do they? Well, it’s time to shake up your worldview: Mount Everest is on the move.</p> <p>According to the Chinese government, the world’s highest peak moved both laterally and horizontally as a result of the earthquake in Nepal on April 25. Research by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation shows that Everest moved 3cm to the south-west since the quake. There was also a shift in height: the European space Agency released satellite data showing the mountain had shrunk by 2.5cm because of the earthquake.</p> <p>In the last 10 years to April, Everest had moved 40cm north-east, and had risen 3cm. With the recent loss of height, the summit is just about back to where it was in 2005.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/seniors-open-doors-needy/">Seniors open their doors to house the needy in exchange for help around the home</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/boy-walks-for-charity/">Meet the little boy doing a big walk for charity every week</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2015/06/taxi-drivers-gives-ride-to-ducks/"><strong>This taxi driver gave a ride to some ducks in need</strong></a></em></span></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Two earthquakes rock Queensland

<p>Two earthquakes hit the small Queensland town of Eidsvold early this morning, with the largest measured at 5.2 magnitude. Just 45 minutes after this first earthquake, a magnitude 2.9 shook the region.</p><p>It has been estimated that people up to 206km away could have felt the earthquakes, and that damage could have been caused up to 16km away. No damage has been reported as yet, but the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has sent is Rapid Damage Assessment Team to the area as a precaution.</p><p>People took to social media to share their experiences, with many claiming their whole house was shaking. One Facebook user, however, called the tremors “very gentle”.</p><p>Aftershocks could be felt in the upcoming days, but usually become smaller and less frequent over time. Another large earthquake in the days to come cannot be ruled out.</p><p><em>Image credit: <a href="http://reisefredrik.com/norwegian-australian-history/" target="_blank">Reisefredrik</a></em></p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/02/tourists-ruin-morning-glory/" target="_blank">Tourists have ruined this once beautiful natural wonder</a></span></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/01/monster-shark-caught-gold-coast/" target="_blank">A woman caught this monster shark just off Queensland’s coast</a></span></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/outdoors/2015/01/top-swimming-holes-in-australia/" target="_blank">Here are 5 swimming holes you can cool off in</a></span></strong></em></p>

News

Our Partners