Aftershock shakes Gippsland, experts urge residents to prepare for larger quakes

An aftershock measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale was recorded near Leongatha in Gippsland, waking many residents on Wednesday night. Geoscience Australia reported that over two thousand individuals experienced the shaking, which follows a larger 4.8-magnitude quake on October 3 that originated near Korumburra and caused no building damage. The State Emergency Service received no calls for assistance.

Adam Pascale, chief scientist at the Seismology Research Centre, explained that the probability of another quake of equal or greater magnitude is temporarily higher after an event, though it declines over time. He recalled a similar pattern in 2009, when two comparable quakes occurred within weeks. Pascale urged people near the recent epicentres to tie down bookshelves and practice “drop, cover and hold on” to reduce injury risk, emphasizing that falling objects cause most harm during shaking.