SYDNEY - A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook a remote region of central Australia early Saturday, the US Geological Survey said.
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook a remote region of central Australia early Saturday, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake struck 460 kilometres southwest of the desert town of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, USGS said.
In a preliminary assessment, it said there was a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Geoscience Australia, which measured the tremor at a stronger 6.1, estimated it could have caused damage up to 40 kilometres away and could have been felt by people up to 507 kilometres away.
The strongest recorded quake to hit Australia was a 6.6-magnitude earthquake which hit the small mining town of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, in January 1988, according to Geoscience Australia.