A man has been reported missing after falling into a manure pit Monday night in the municipality of Les Hauteurs, located in the Lower St. Lawrence, Quebec provincial police say.

Police officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) were called to intervene around 5 p.m. on 2 and 3 Rang Ouest.

According to initial information from the SQ, a man may have fallen into a manure pit and has not been seen since the incident.

A manure pit, the watertight tank used to collect manure on a farm, has a high risk of poisoning. Because of a gas that is created when manure decomposes, an intoxicated person can lose consciousness very quickly and run out of oxygen.

An investigator from the SQ was dispatched to the site as well as the Commission des normes de l'équité de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST).

An operation is underway to locate the individual. Emergency services were on the scene Monday, but as of 10:00 p.m., the man had still not been found.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 8, 2022.