Earthquake in Cuba: Two earthquakes rock Cuba following recent hurricanes and power outages

Southern Cuba was hit by two powerful earthquakes on Sunday, just days after the island was rocked Hurricane Rafael and Oscar.
According to the US Geological Survey, the first quake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck around 11 a.m. (local time) off the coast of Bartolome Maso in Granma province. An hour later, a stronger quake of magnitude 6.8 struck the same area at a depth of 23.2 kilometers.

The quakes caused widespread panic and residents rushed to the streets in fear, especially after experiencing severe weather conditions earlier in the week.

Despite the severe impact, the US tsunami warning system confirmed that there was no tsunami threat from the earthquakes.
The earthquakes damaged homes and infrastructure, particularly in eastern and central Cuba. State media reported cracked walls, collapsed roofs and damaged power lines in cities such as Bayamo, Santiago de Cuba and Caney de las Mercedes.
According to the AFP news agency, no deaths have been reported so far despite the damage.
The earthquakes have deepened difficulties for many residents already facing hours-long power outages and a severe economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and shortages of basic goods.
Residents of Bayamo, a city of about 140,000 people, described the strong shaking that left street poles swaying and houses rattling. In Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second largest city, buildings shook and people fled for safety.
Livan Chavez, a welder from Bayamo, told AFP: “People were scared. “Everyone ran out of their houses in fear.” Another resident, Karen Rodriguez, noticed that walls and roofs were collapsing in some houses in her small town.
These tremors come as Cuba struggles to recover from a series of natural and man-made disasters. The island was recently hit by Hurricane Oscarwhich caused extensive damage, and Hurricane Rafael, which crippled the national power grid and left millions without power.
The ongoing crisis has sparked rare protests that led to the arrests of several people, while residents expressed frustration over ongoing power outages and deteriorating living conditions.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel He addressed the nation via social media, acknowledging the damage and promising that efforts to assess and repair the destruction were underway. He stressed that the government’s priority is to “save lives” amid these overlapping crises.

The region around Santiago de Cuba is no stranger to seismic activity, as it lies near the fault line between the North American and Caribbean plates. Local experts reported that more than 15 aftershocks were felt after the initial tremors, prompting authorities to warn residents to remain vigilant for further tremors.
The twin catastrophe of hurricanes and earthquakes has left large parts of Cuba’s eastern region in urgent need of aid and reconstruction measures.