Overview
- An offshore earthquake in the Banda Sea off the eastern coast of Timor-Leste was widely felt in Darwin and its northern suburbs late Friday night, with shaking reported across the city and nearby communities.
- Seismological agencies first logged the event as magnitude 6.1 at 102 kilometres depth and then revised it to magnitude 5.9 at about 73 kilometres after processing more data.
- Residents described strong, brief tremors that lasted around five to six seconds and reported rumbling noises, with some people leaving buildings in Nightcliff and other suburbs.
- Authorities confirmed there is no tsunami threat to Australia and there are no confirmed reports of significant damage, and emergency services and seismologists continue to monitor the area for aftershocks.
- The 5.9 event followed a smaller magnitude 5.2 quake in the same Banda Sea area earlier that day, a reminder that the region off Timor-Leste is seismically active and regularly monitored by agencies such as Geoscience Australia.