A strong earthquake can cause:

Approximately 5,000 earthquakes (earthquakes) occur each year in Canada. Most are low intensity, last only a few seconds and do not cause damage. The major earthquakes that occur can last for a few minutes. They generally present major shaking followed by secondary shakes (replicas) more or less strong.

A strong earthquake can cause:

• landslides;

• floods;

• fires;

• power outages.

• There are certain things you can do to limit the dangers of an earthquake.

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• Prepare yourselves

• Follow the safety rules that apply when the earth is shaking

• Secure your environment after an earthquake

• Evacuate your home

• Return to your home

• Know what to do after a disaster

• Prepare yourself

Some areas of Quebec are more exposed to earthquakes. Find out about risk zones by looking at the simplified seismic hazard map .

Here's what you can do to keep yourself safe:

• establish a family safety plan ;

• always have an emergency kit handy ;

• identify safe places where you can quickly shelter;

• securely attach furniture such as shelves and bookcases as well as objects hung on the wall;

• avoid placing heavy objects at the top of a shelf or above the head of a bed;

• keep chemicals and flammables away from any source of heat and in a place where it is less risky to spread;

• place anti-slip mats under electronic devices and under small household appliances or secure them with self-adhesive tape (eg Velcro tape).

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• Follow the safety rules that apply when the earth is shaking

Indonesia: magnitude 6.6 earthquake kills young boy

On the night of Monday to Tuesday, the island of Sumatra in Indonesia was hit by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake that was felt in several cities. In Subulussalam, a 12-year-old boy died following the fall of a wall that surprised him while sleeping.

The earth shook tonight on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Shortly after midnight, at 1755 GMT, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake triggered in the north of the territory, surprising the inhabitants in their sleep. The tremors were felt in several cities including Banda Aceh and Medan, causing scenes of panic. " My wife was screaming, my children were crying, we saw our walls start to crack and everything in the house was falling, " says Burhan Mardiansyah, a resident of Singkil City, quoted by usatoday.com .

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According to the US Geophysical Institute (USGS), the epicenter was located about 400 kilometers southeast of Banda Aceh and 52 kilometers deep. In total, the tremors lasted about two minutes and caused a great deal of material damage: electrical poles fell on the houses, among others. However, " a young boy was killed and another person seriously injured, " said AFP Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Agency for Natural Disaster Management. More information about Los Angeles earthquake retrofitting

Dead but no tsunami warning

In Aceh province, Subulussalam, " the 12-year-old was sleeping next to his mother when a wall collapsed and bricks fell on her stomach, crushing her." we brought him but we could not save him in time, "said Dr. Hasbi, quoted by the AP . Despite the violence of the earthquake, no tsunami warning was issued. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, said the quake was located too far inland to cause a tsunami.

" It's the most powerful earthquake I've ever known, I thought it was the end of the world, " said Abdul Kader Angkat, a 42-year-old farmer. However, in December 2004, a much larger earthquake of magnitude 9.1 had already ravaged the Indonesian province of Aceh and triggered a massive tsunami that had spread all over the Indian Ocean, killing more than 220,000 people.