Moderate quake strikes Australia

Melbourne, July 30: A moderate 5.3-magnitude earthquake today struck Australia's northeast Queensland state.

"The earthquake struck off the coast of Fraser Island at 9.14 am (local time). However there is no tsunami threat to Australia," Bureau of Meteorology said.

According to media reports, quake was felt in Bundaberg where residents reported buildings swaying. Reports of tremors also came from Yeppoon, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast.

Evacuations were also carried out in the Wide Bay city including the seven-storey Auswide Bank building.

Geoscience Australia confirmed the earthquake struck at a depth of 35 kilometres but there's little chance of a tsunami threat to the east coast.

"Our concern is if it occurred right on the shelf, which does have the possibility of inducing a sub-marine landslide and that can induce a local tsunami," senior seismologist John Bathgate said.

"But it doesn't appear to have occurred at this stage," he said. Due to the relatively large size of the quake in Australia's least seismic state, Bathgate said it was more likely to produce after-shocks.

"Each earthquake is different and we can't predict what may follow but I would expect some aftershock activity," he said.

PTI