One of the largest gold mining operations in Australia has halted its underground activities following an earthquake that struck the Central West region of New South Wales.

The earthquake, measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale, occurred at 8:19 PM on Tuesday, located just west of the Cadia mine operated by Newmont, near the town of Orange.

Tremors were felt across extensive areas of New South Wales, reaching as far as Ulladulla and Goulburn.

This seismic event set a new record for the region, surpassing the previous highest magnitude of 4.3, which occurred on April 14, 2017, exactly nine years prior to this incident.

The earlier quake had resulted in the evacuation of the Cadia site and forced a three-month suspension of underground mining activities.

In a public statement, Newmont confirmed that all safety protocols were successfully implemented during the event.

“All underground workers were accounted for and systematically brought back to the surface,” the statement read. “Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries.”

According to Geoscience Australia, the company indicated that all underground operations would remain on hold while specialized teams conduct thorough inspections and evaluations.

“The safety and well-being of our employees is our utmost priority,” Newmont emphasized. “We will provide updates regarding any significant impacts on production if necessary.”

In the aftermath of the initial quake, two aftershocks were recorded at the Cadia mine site. The first, a magnitude-2.4 tremor, occurred five minutes later at 8:25 PM, approximately 4 kilometers east of the original quake.

Another aftershock, measuring 2.2 in magnitude, was detected at 8:50 PM a few kilometers to the north, also within the mine’s vicinity.