M3.4 quake hits major Australian gold mine
Operations have paused at a major Australian gold mine west of Sydney after a 3.4-magnitude earthquake hit it in the early hours of Friday, according Xinhua.
Geoscience Australia said the earthquake was recorded at a depth of 1 km within the Cadia Gold Mine site, 210 km west of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, at 5:43 a.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time (1943 GMT on Thursday).
Newmont Corporation, the owner and operator of the mine, said in a statement that all underground personnel were safely returned to the surface and there were no reported injuries.
Cadia is one of Australia's largest gold mining operations, with annual production of 464,000 ounces in 2024 and 385,000 ounces in 2025.
Operations at the mine were suspended for several weeks in April and May due to damage caused by a 4.5-magnitude earthquake that hit on April 14.
The Cadia earthquake was the second tremor recorded in NSW on Friday, following a 3.2-magnitude earthquake that was reported near the remote town of Wilcannia, 750 km west of Sydney, at 3:20 a.m. AEST (1720 GMT on Thursday).