Cuba Experiences 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake Following Hurricanes and Blackouts

HAVANA—An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 shook eastern Cuba on Sunday, after weeks of hurricanes and blackouts that have left many on the island reeling.

The epicenter of the quake was located about 25 miles south of Bartolome Maso, Cuba, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Rumbling was felt across the eastern stretch of Cuba, including in bigger cities like Santiago de Cuba, as well as Holguin and. Guantanamo. Local media in Jamaica also reported that the island felt the tremors.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries in Cuba.

Residents in Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city, were left shaken on Sunday. Yolanda Tabío, 76, said that people in the city flocked to the streets and were still nervously sitting in their doorways. She said that she felt at least two aftershocks following the quake, but that among friends and family she hadn’t heard of any damages.

“You had to see how everything was moving, the walls, everything,” she told The Associated Press.

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Others reported hearing screams, adding that the quake was strong and stretched on. On social media, residents in the small town of Pilon reported minor damage, posting photos of crumbling roofs and cracks on building walls, not uncommon in Cuba where many structures are older and in need of repair.

The earthquake comes during another tough stretch for Cuba.

On Wednesday, Category 3 Hurricane Rafael ripped through western Cuba, with strong winds knocking out power island-wide, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people. Days after, much of the island was still struggling without power.

Weeks before in October, the island was also hit by a one-two punch. First, it was hit by island-wide blackouts stretching on for days, a product of the island’s energy crisis. Shortly after, it was slapped by a powerful hurricane that struck the eastern part of the island and killed at least six people.

The blackouts and wider discontent among many struggling to get by has stoked small protests across the island.

By Andrea Rodríguez