Darwin Residents Hit By 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake From Indonesia But No Tsunami Threat to Australia, BOM Says

A frightening tremor woke Darwin residents on Tuesday morning. The source of the disturbance was reportedly an earthquake that hit Indonesia.

Australia Hit By 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake From Indonesia

An undersea earthquake struck near Tanimbar Island At 3:17 a.m., about 600 kilometers north of Darwin. The residents of Darwin felt the earthquake, ABC.net.au reported.

Two school buildings and 15 houses were damaged on Tanimbar island. One was heavily damaged, and three were moderately damaged. One resident was reportedly injured.

Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson, said in a statement obtained by ABC News that the locals felt the strong tremors for three to five seconds, and they panicked and left their houses. The epicenter was in the Banda Sea, nearest the Tanimbar islands in Maluku province, with about 127,00 residents.

The tremors were felt in several regions, including Papua and East Nusa Tenggara provinces and northern Australia.

What Did the Darwin Residents Say About The Earthquake

Over 1,000 people from the Land Down Under, including the city of Darwin, reported that they felt the quake. Tracey Wedel, who lives in Darwin, said the shaking was so "violent" that she feared her house would fall, The Guardian reported.

Wedel said everything was banging and shaking. It was reportedly the strongest earthquake she had ever experienced. She remembered the dogs from the street barking, which reportedly went on for about two and a half minutes.

Amy Hetherington, who moved to Darwin 10 years ago, echoed Wendel's sentiment, saying it was also the biggest earthquake she had experienced. According to her, they were in a two-story troppo house and could feel the place swinging. She and her husband got up and saw the shelves and photos moved. They were also worried that things might fall and considered themselves lucky that it didn't happen.

Olympian and former senator Nova Peris said the earthquake was "freaking scary." She said their entire house "shook like crazy," and the picture frames fell off the walls.

Australian singer Vassy also took to Twitter and asked others if they felt the big earthquake at 3: 30 am. According to her, it was the longest tremor she had experienced.

In a separate tweet, she said they ran out of their house. She added that she had never experienced an earthquake that long and strong, noting that it was "rather scary."

Bureau of Meteorology Says There Is No Tsunami Threat in Australia Despite Strong Tremors

Despite the strong tremors that the locals in Darwin experienced, the Bureau of Meteorology assured the residents that they were safe from a tsunami.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency issued a tsunami warning that was lifted three hours later, according to ABC News. Dwikorita Karnawati, agency head, said that based on their four tide gauge observations around the epicenter, there was no significant anomaly or change in sea level.

The quake's epicenter was 105 kilometers (65 miles) deep, not far from Australia's northern tip. Deeper earthquakes tend to cause less surface damage than shallow shaking. However, they tend to be felt more widely.

Check out more news and information on Earthquake in Science Times.