4.3 magnitude earthquake reported in Quebec [Canada]

The Canadian Press

A minor earthquake, with an estimated 4.3 magnitude, has been detected in western Quebec.

Natural Resources Canada says the quake was centered in Lachute, Que., between Ottawa and Montreal, and struck this afternoon about 1:36 p.m.

The ground started shaking and stopped after about 10 seconds.

The quake was felt as far away as the western suburbs of Montreal, in Cornwall, Ont., and by some people in Ottawa.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

It appeared the one casualty was the federal website intended to keep Canadians informed about earthquakes.

Last time there was a temblor in the region, last June, it froze the website for Earthquakes Canada.

The federal site was brought to its knees again Wednesday. Many visitors seeking information were greeted by blank screens and the site was occasionally working, but only intermittently, after 2 p.m.

The bugs brought back memories of last year's 5.0 temblor, where the federal site was paralyzed by demand.

Documents obtained by the Canadian Press, under Access to Information, revealed that staffers were scrambling for more than two hours to find a temporary solution and it took four hours before the whole site was back in full working order.

At the time, an official with Natural Resources Canada admitted the crash raised questions about how well prepared the agency is to communicate with Canadians online in the event of a sudden natural disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami.

As it did last year, the U.S. Geological Survey's website continued running Wednesday and provided information about the quake.

The U.S. agency pegged the magnitude at 3.7.