General

Quebec family found dead after massive landslide

Bodies were buried in mud and debris

One minute the Préfontaines were watching the Montreal Canadiens play on their basement television. The next, a massive landslide took their lives. It happened on Monday night, in the farming town of Saint-Jude, Quebec. Authorities say that a landslide was triggered around 9:30 pm. Almost instantly, a kilometre-long crater opened up, sucking the Préfontaine home into it, nine metres down. On Tuesday, rescue workers dug through layers of mud and debris and found the bodies of Richard Préfontaine, his wife, and their two young daughters. Locals say erosion is a problem in the lush, clay-rich region. “Every year we lose a lot of farm land to the [Yamaska] River,” said one municipal counselor. A fence has been placed around the abyss, but some worry that other homes are at risk. Only the Préfontaines’ family dog, Foxy, survived Monday’s landslide.

CBC News

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