4 Members of Canadian Family Feared Dead After Home Swallowed by Sinkhole

Published November 17, 2014

All four members of a Canadian family were feared dead Tuesday after their farmhouse was swallowed by a massive sinkhole.

Police found the Prefontaine family -- father Richard, his wife Line and their two daughters -- in the basement of their home, CP24 reported.

Two were confirmed dead after their bodies were removed from the site, while the status of the other two was yet to be confirmed.

Incredibly, the family's dog was found alive, although weak, after being dragged into the sinkhole.

It is believed all of the family were in the basement when the earth opened up and swallowed their country home on Monday night.

Their home is located in St. Jude, Quebec, approximately 55 miles northeast of Montreal.

Neighbors said the area's soil is unstable and a similar landslide wiped out a small bridge a few years ago.

The two adults were in their 40s while the daughters were a fourth grader and a high school student, The Globe and Mail reported.

Police moved the security perimeter closer to the scene of the landslide on Tuesday. Surete du Quebec Police spokesman Ronald McInnis said the crater is 500 meters by 100 meters (1,640 feet by 330 feet) wide and 30 meters (98 feet) deep.

Three cars in front of the house were also swept away, as well as a nearby road, the Globe and Mail said. Five other houses in the area were evacuated.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/world/4-members-of-canadian-family-feared-dead-after-home-swallowed-by-sinkhole