WA: Tiny town hit by earthquake

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2001
WA: Tiny town hit by earthquake

PERTH, Dec 30 AAP - They say lightning does not hit the same place twice but earthquakes
certainly do, as residents of the tiny wheatbelt town of Burakin have found out.

Early yesterday, Burakin, about 200km north-east of Perth, felt its second earthquake
in three months measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale.

Geoscience Australia seismologist Cvetan Sinadinovski said yesterday's 12.30am quake
was not unexpected.

"It could have almost been considered an aftershock after the earthquake there in September,"

he said.

"However, it could also be the start of a new sequence of seismic activity but we are
not sure so we are just continuing to monitor the situation," he said.

Dr Sinadinovski said it was impossible to accurately predict the frequency, occurrence
or size of future earthquakes in the area in the coming months.

"We cannot issue forecasts as yet, all we can do is monitor things and try to determine
if there is another sequence coming or whether it is the aftershocks from the last one."

He said that there would have been no structural damage from yesterday's 4.1 quake.

"Damage starts at about five or more so there would be no structural damage, maybe
just some micro-cracks near the small area of the epicentre," Dr Sinadinovski said.

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KEYWORD: QUAKE

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