A mild earthquake gently shook parts of the Ottawa-Gatineau area Monday but federal officials said there were no reports of damage.

Earthquake Canada said the tremor began at 4:58 p.m. and was an estimated magnitude of 3.3. The quake could be felt in Orléans, Buckingham, Que., and Val-des-Monts, Que., which is about 40 kilometres northeast of Gatineau.

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Gatineau fire said the quake was felt in the fire station and only lasted a few seconds, adding they had not received any reports of damage.

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Residents were quick to share what they felt during the earthquake on social media.

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“EARTHQUAKE!!!” said one user.

“Felt a fairly strong earthquake, maybe a 2+, lasting about 25 seconds in Val-des-Monts,” said another user.

The Ottawa-Gatineau area experiences small earthquakes frequently because of its geographical location, which is in the Western Quebec seismic zone.

“Where the (Earth’s) crust is a little bit weaker is more susceptible to earthquakes,” explained seismologist Michal Kolaj.

This seismic zone is not directly on the border of a tectonic plate, like Western Canada, but it is still susceptible to frequent tremors, Kolaj said.

The Geological Survey rated Ottawa -Gatineau as one of the country’s urban areas most at risk of an earthquake . It’s ranked third, behind Vancouver and Montreal. If a major earthquake (more than 6.0) occurred, the event will be felt most acutely in Orléans, which sits atop a giant belt of Leda clay that would amplify its effects.

With files from Andrew Duffy