Quebec Premier François Legault says five homes must be demolished and four others might also need to come down in a neighbourhood north of Quebec City that was evacuated because of the threat of landslides.
Legault made the comments to reporters after touring the La Baie district in Saguenay, Que., today, after almost 200 people were forced from their homes over the weekend because of the unstable earth.
Authorities say 192 residents have been relocated from 76 homes after a landslide destroyed a house last week.
Legault says the province will increase payments to people left homeless, to $375,000 from $260,000 announced earlier this week.
He says the government will also increase the evacuees’ daily living expense allowance to $40 from $20.
Legault says there is hope engineers can stabilize the ground and allow people to return to 67 homes that have been evacuated, adding that the work might take up to four months.
The city declared a state of emergency over the weekend and evacuated the affected area. The Quebec government extended the emergency order on Monday.
A city spokesperson says experts are warning that the land in the district is unstable and at risk of imminent landslides.
