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Magnitude 6.8 earthquake off the coast of eastern Cuba
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of eastern Cuba as the island recovers from huge power outages and two hurricanes. Damage and initial evaluations are underway.
Magnitude 6.8 earthquake off the coast of eastern Cuba
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday. The quake caused significant property damage in several regions, while the island continued to suffer from the effects nationwide power outages and the effects of two hurricanes in recent weeks.
Earthquake details
The earthquake was recorded about 39 km (24 miles) south of Bartolomé Masó before noon local time, about an hour after a previous magnitude 5.9 quake shook the region, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
Damage and effects
“There were landslides, damage to houses and power lines,” said Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. He added that authorities are assessing the situation to begin reconstruction work.
Photos of Granma province published by state media Cubadebate show buildings with cracks in the walls and piles of rubble on the ground.
According to Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of Cuba's National Seismological Service, the municipality of Pilón suffered "a lot of damage."
"I can't answer messages or calls. I couldn't post anything. The situation is quite complicated," he said on Facebook.
Reactions of residents
Hermits in eastern Cuba told Reuters that the quake was stronger than any they have experienced before. "Stronger than ever before. On other occasions we have felt earthquakes, but not as strong as this time," expressed Griselda Fernandez.
The earthquake was also felt in the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguín and Guantanamo, where deadly Hurricane Oscar struck last month.
More natural events and warnings
Another storm, Rafael, struck western Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday, causing a nationwide power outage, marking the latest major blackout in recent weeks.
Sunday's earthquake did not pose a significant tsunami threat, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center, but it warned of "the very low possibility of tsunami waves along the coasts near the epicenter."
The quake was apparently not felt in the capital Havana, but the shock waves reached southern Florida. Videos were posted on social media showing swinging ceiling lights of a tower in Miami.
This article was supported by CNN's Patrick Oppmann and Elisa Raffa, among others.