Magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Orange rattles central-west NSW residents

ByEditorial Team

Thousands of people across central-west New South Wales have reported feeling tremors after a moderate earthquake struck near Orange on Tuesday night.

Geoscience Australia recorded the magnitude 4.5 quake at 8.19pm AEST, with the epicentre located about 30 kilometres southwest of Orange at a depth of roughly five kilometres.

More than 2000 people submitted felt reports to the national agency, with shaking experienced across a wide area of the state.

Magnitude 4.5 Quake Near Orange Is Largest in Regional History (Image: Stuart Walmsley)

Tremors felt hundreds of kilometres away

Residents reported feeling the quake as far away as Batemans Bay on the state’s south coast, hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre.

Senior seismologist Dr Phil Cummins said the shaking ranged from weak to light in intensity but was notable given the region’s relatively low level of seismic activity.

“This is a large earthquake for this area,” he said.

Historical records show only a handful of earthquakes have occurred within 50 kilometres of the site in recent decades, including a magnitude 4.3 event in 2017.

Aftershocks possible but expected to be smaller

Seismologists say aftershocks are likely in the coming days, though they are expected to be weaker and felt across a smaller area.

Australia experiences earthquakes regularly, but most are minor and cause little to no damage.
Authorities have not reported any injuries or significant structural damage following Tuesday night’s tremor, though monitoring of the area is continuing.

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