A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck eastern Cuba on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, shaking buildings in Santiago de Cuba, the island's second-largest city, and the surrounding countryside. Reuters reported.
The earthquake struck the southeastern coast of Cuba in the province of Granma, near the municipality of Bartolomé Masó, headquarters of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution.
Reuters He spoke to several area residents who reported that the earthquake felt stronger than any other in their lives. Houses and buildings shook violently, they said, and dishes fell from shelves. Some damage was reported in Pilon, near the epicenter of the earthquake.
Many of the homes and buildings in the region are older and vulnerable.
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck at a depth of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles), the USGS said. About an hour earlier, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake was measured nearby, according to the US agency.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami threat was expected as a result of these earthquakes.
The earthquakes are the latest in a series of natural disasters to hit Cuba.
Much of the eastern end of the island was devastated by Hurricane Oscar in October. Last week, Cuba's national grid collapsed after Hurricane Rafael hit the western tip of the island, leaving 10 million people without power. Recovery efforts are still underway.
Rolling blackouts remain the norm in much of eastern Cuba, where Sunday's earthquake struck, complicating communications.
The greatest seismic activity in Cuba takes place in the region around Santiago. A fault runs along the island's southeast coast, marking the boundary between the North American plate and the Caribbean plate, according to Cuba's seismic service.
