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The earthquake, which caused no injuries, was caused on Monday by the activities of the Agnico Eagle mining company. (Archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Martin Guindon
Published yesterday at 12:58 p.m. EDTUpdated today at 6:25 a.m. EDT
An earthquake caused Monday around 8:49 a.m. by activities at the LaRonde mining complex, near Preissac, forced employees who were underground to find refuge in shelters provided for this purpose.
The Agnico Eagle company, which manages the LaRonde complex, indicates that all workers have returned to the surface since 4:30 p.m. Monday. The nearby Westwood Mine finished evacuating its site around lunchtime.
The earthquake caused no injuries. Mining activities remain suspended on Tuesday.
A significant shock, according to Earthquakes Canada
The earthquake was rated 4.1 on the Richter scale by Earthquakes Canada.
That’s certainly a lot for a mining event. It would be one of the largest recorded in Canada to date. At this magnitude, it is certainly below the threshold of possibility of damage, but it was very well felt in the nearby area
explains seismic analyst Christopher Boucher.
The shock was felt within a radius of 100 kilometers, as far as Amos, Val-d’Or and Rouyn-Noranda.
Mr. Boucher reminds that when tremors occur, it is important to bend down, and then grab under a piece of furniture, a desk, something solid
.
The danger of earthquakes is debris, objects falling from the ceiling, furniture falling
he recalls.
With the collaboration of Gabriel Poirier
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