bendedreality.com
| 5.8 Earthquake Strikes Off Queensland Australia 'Biggest in 20 years'
The 5.8 magnitude quake hit off Bowen in state's north triggering evacuations in Cairns and Townsville but no serious injuries or damage reported One of the more powerful earthquakes to strike Australia in recent years sent tremors along more than 1,000 km of the Queensland coastline on Thursday. The 5.8 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Bowen in north Queensland around 2.30pm, triggering evacuations of buildings in Cairns and Townsville but with no reports of serious injuries or damage. An interview recorded with Greg Williamson, the mayor of Mackay, by the Daily Mercury newspaper captured the sound of a shaking floor when the quake struck, prompting Williamson to ask: "Is that an actual earthquake?" The tremors reportedly lasted 40 seconds in Mackay, with fainter and shorter echoes felt as far south as the Sunshine Coast and west of Charters Towers. The Mackay hospital and health service said a baby with a "minor head injury" in Bowen was the sole known casualty from the quake.