An earthquake Sunday in Germany that rated 3.4 on the Richter scale was attributed to a coalmine collapse. Deutsche Steinkohle, the mine owner, said nobody was hurt when the tunnel 1,400 metres underground gave way at Lebach, close to the French border in the Saar coal basin. The temblor was picked up and quantified by the earthquake laboratory in Strasbourg, France. Karl-Heinz Pohmer, a spokesman for the lignite-mining company, which is a subsidiary of Essen-based miner RAG, said a stratum of sandstone had shifted above the Dilsburg Feld-Ost mine. "Even a small movement can release a huge amount of energy," he said, adding that more quakes might follow. He said the jolt had been especially perceptible because the sandstone was quite brittle. Police said they received 180 calls. Residents reported cracks in windows and house walls. The mining company said it would compensate all those who had suffered property damage. --SP 2339 Local Time 2039 GMT
