FAST DOWNLOAD
An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale shook eastern Cuba, the second reported this Sunday, with no confirmed damage to people or property so far, according to the National Center for Seismological Research (Cenais).
This new earthquake occurred at 11:49 local time (16:49 GMT), located 32 kilometers southeast of the municipality of Pilón, in the province of Granma, and at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The preceding earthquake took place at 10:50 local time (15:50 GMT) at 19.75 degrees north latitude and 76.91 degrees west longitude, also at a depth of 10 kilometers and with its epicenter located 48 km southeast of Pilón.
Cenais said that in addition to Granma, the movement was felt in the eastern provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba and Holguin. It was also felt in Camaguey and Ciego de Avila, in the center-east.
These earthquakes are preceded by the 5.1 magnitude earthquake recorded on October 17, which was felt in Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Granma (east), with no material damage reported.
The eastern provinces are adding these shocks to the intense rainy season of the last few days, and in particular Guantánamo, which was severely affected three weeks ago by the impact of tropical storm Oscar, with a death toll of eight and considerable damage to homes and agriculture.
The Oriente geological fault, the main zone of seismic activity in Cuba, marked the highest number of earthquakes in the Caribbean country last year.
Nearly 70% of earthquakes are reported on this Oriente fault, located along the island’s southeastern coast. In 2018, 15 perceptible earthquakes occurred in this area alone.
Cuba is located in a region – stretching from the Dominican Republic to Mexico – where different tectonic fault systems converge with significant seismic activity.
The largest earthquake ever recorded in Cuba occurred on February 3, 1932 at 1:15 AM with a magnitude of 6.7 on the Richter scale. It left 13 dead and a large number of injured, estimated at around 2,000 although the exact statistics are not known. EFE
