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A series of three powerful earthquakes ranging from 6.3 to 6.7 Richter magnitude shook the region with each quake occurring about half an hour apart and each lasting up to 45 seconds. The main infrastructure damage was the severe warping of a major natural gas pipeline as large ground ruptures occurred and a 35km long fault scarp (with up to 2m vertical displacement) was formed. At the relatively nearby, mining town of Tennant Creek, the shaking toppled furniture, cracked walls and shattered windows. The most serious effect was on the town's hospital which was structurally damaged. Some minor damage resulted at mines in the region also.
Considering the magnitude of these events, the level of damage was remarkably low. One of the quakes, centered 30km south-west of Tennant Creek, was the same magnitude as the event that devestated the Japanese city of Kobe in 1995. |
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