A 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, causing material damage in many regions even as the island is making concerted efforts to recover from the widespread blackouts and the effect of two hurricanes over the past few weeks.
The earthquake had occurred about 39 km (24 miles) south of Bartolomé Masó before noon,local time, about an hour after a 5.9 magnitude quake struck the area, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The Cuban President, Miguel Díaz-Canel had said that there were landslides and great damage to home and power lines, adding that the authorities were evaluating the situation so that recovery efforts can begin as soon as possible.
Pictures of Granma Province shared by the state-run outlet “Cubadebate” showed buildings with cracked walls and piles of debris littering the ground.
The Pilón municipality has suffered “a lot of damage,” according to Enrique Diego Arango Arias, the head of the National Seismological Service of Cuba.
“I can’t answer messages or phone calls. I haven’t been able to post. The situation is quite complicated,” he said on a Facebook post.
Residents in eastern Cuba told new reporters that the tremor was vert powerful as they’ve never felt sucg before.
The quake was also reportedly felt in the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Guantánamo, where the deadly Hurricane Oscar struck in October.
Sunday’s earthquake did not produce a significant tsunami threat, according to the US National Tsunami Warning Center, but it warned that there’s “a very small possibility of tsunami waves along coasts located nearest the epicenter.”
The quake was apparently not felt in the capital city of Havana, but the shockwaves had reached southern Florida, with a video clip on social media showing swaying ceiling lights from a tower in Miami.
