Australia: A magnitude-4.5 earthquake occurs in southern Victoria at around 00:49 Feb. 9

A magnitude-4.5 earthquake occurred in southern Victoria at around 00:49 Feb. 9. The epicenter was about 1 km (0.6 miles) south-southwest of Leongatha. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and moderate-to-light shaking was probably felt in areas close to the epicenter and light-to-weak shaking throughout parts of southern and central Victoria, including Melbourne. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.