Strong earthquakes shake Cuba, causing damage and landslides

November 11 (UPI) – Two strong earthquakes occurred off the southern coast of Cuba, causing damage and landslides.

The first quake of magnitude 5.9 struck around 10:50 a.m. local time on Sunday, followed an hour later by the larger quake of magnitude 6.8, according to data from the United States Geological Survey.

Both struck off the southern coast of Bartolome Maso, with the first striking about 22 miles from the town and the second 25 miles, the U.S. observer said, adding that both struck at a depth of more than 8 1/2 miles .

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X that homes and power lines had been damaged by the quakes, which also caused landslides.

“We are starting to assess the damage to begin the recovery process. The first and most important thing is to save lives,” he said.

Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of Cuba’s National Seismological Service, known as CENAIS, said online that the municipality of Pilon in Granma province suffered “great damage.”

The earthquakes came after Category 3 Hurricane Rafael hit the island nation, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.