A strong earthquake in Cuba triggered additional challenges for a nation currently recovering from an extensive number of recent storms and power outages. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the town of Bartolome Maso, according to a report released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on Sunday. There have been no reports of fatalities or injuries thus far. In a social media post, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated that the regions of Santiago de Cuba and Granma were impacted, stating that “there have been landslides, damage to homes, and power lines.” He stated, “We are beginning to assess the damage to begin recovery. The first and most important thing is to save lives,”

“We’ve felt earthquakes in the past, but nothing like this,” Griselda Fernandez, a resident of Santiago, told the news organization Reuters. The second-largest city in Cuba, Santiago, was shaken by the earthquake, according to some locals, and numerous individuals remained standing tensely at their doors. Yolanda Tabio, 76, told The Associated Press, “You had to see how everything was moving—the walls, everything.”

Natural Disasters Compound Infrastructure Problems

At least six people were killed when Hurricane Oscar made an impact in eastern Cuba in October, bringing with it severe rains and extensive power outages. Hurricane Rafael hit the island’s eastern region last week and knocked off electricity for at least ten million residents. Telephone poles and trees were uprooted by the storm. There were hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals and hundreds of structures damaged.

An earthquake struck eastern Cuba, damaging Santiago de Cuba and the surrounding areas. President Diaz-Canel reported power line damage and landslides. Sunday’s earthquake in Cuba shook buildings in Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-biggest city, and the surrounding countryside in the eastern region. The US Geological Survey reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 6.8, and it occurred on the southeast coast of Cuba in Granma province, close to the town of Bartolome Maso, where revolutionary Cuban leader Fidel Castro maintained his headquarters throughout the Cuban Revolution.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated on X (Twitter), “There have been landslides, damage to homes and power lines.” He continued, “We have begun to assess damages…the first and essential thing is to save lives.”

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Seismic Activity and Aftershock Alerts for Earthquake in Cuba

Numerous older homes and structures in the area are susceptible to earthquake damage. Pictures of concrete block houses’ exteriors and terracotta roofs that had fallen with the tremors were released by state-run media. Numerous photos revealed structural damage to public infrastructure, including walls, ceilings, windows, and columns. An island barely recovering from storms was hit by the earthquake. A large portion of the eastern part of Cuba was still recovering from Hurricane Oscar’s direct impact in October. Ten million people were left without electricity after Hurricane Rafael ripped across the western part of the island last week, causing Cuba’s national infrastructure to fail.

Much of eastern Cuba has been experiencing pressing, hour-long blackouts for months, which has slowed damage reporting and made communications more difficult. According to the USGS, the 6.8 earthquake in Cuba occurred at a depth of 14 km (8.7 miles). A 5.9-magnitude earthquake was recorded in the area about an hour earlier, the U.S. agency said.

Cuban officials reported that the initial two shocks were followed by more than 15 noticeable aftershocks and advised residents to exercise caution as further aftershocks might occur. No tsunami hazard was anticipated, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Centre. The area surrounding Santiago experiences the majority of Cuba’s seismic activity.

According to Cuba’s seismic agency, a fault line that separates the Caribbean plate from the North American plate runs along the island’s southeast coast. The earthquake had little effect on Havana, the capital of Cuba.

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