MIAMI, United States. – The two earthquakes that shook several provinces in Eastern Cuba this Sunday caused landslides, damage to homes and damage to power lines, according to authorities.
The first tremor was recorded at 10:50 am local time, with an epicenter 48 kilometers southeast of Pilón, in the province of Granma, and a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the National Seismological Service. Almost an hour later, at 11:49 am, a second earthquake of magnitude 6.7 occurred, located 32 kilometers from the same town and at the same depth.
Granma authorities reported that no deaths were reported as a direct consequence of the earthquakes, but several injuries were reported. They are currently assessing the damage to begin recovery work, according to the official media. Cubadebate.
The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel communicated through the social network that “there have been landslides, damage to homes and power lines.” In addition, he urged the population of Granma and Santiago de Cuba to take precautions against possible aftershocks, recommending “going out and staying in open places” to preserve life.
The earthquakes were noticeable in the provinces of Santiago de CubaGuantánamo, Holguín and Ciego de Ávila. Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the Seismological Service of the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS), confirmed the events and explained that this type of tremors are called premonitors, since they can precede earthquakes of greater magnitude. However, he assured that there was no danger of a tsunami.
Yudelkis Ortiz, first secretary of the Communist Party in Granma, pointed out that the earthquakes were felt with greater intensity in the municipalities of Pilón, Niquero and Bartolomé Masó.
In addition to the two main earthquakes, multiple aftershocks of smaller magnitude were recorded, perceived by residents of municipalities such as Guamá in Santiago de Cuba and Pilón in Granma.
These phenomena are added to the recent meteorological events that have impacted the eastern region of Cuba. In particular, the province of Guantánamo was severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Oscar, which left eight dead and considerable damage to homes and agriculture.
Last year, Cuba recorded a total of 7,475 earthquakes, of which 14 were perceptible, according to the CENAIS annual summary. The Oriente geological fault, located along the southeast coast of the Island, concentrated around 70% of these events, which consolidates it as the main area of seismic activity in the country.
Cuba is located in a geographic region where various tectonic fault systems converge, spanning from the Dominican Republic to Mexico, which makes it prone to significant seismic activity.
