A historically strong earthquake struck off Cuba’s northwest coast on Monday, according to official reports, shaking parts of Cuba, Mexico and Florida that are typically not prone to quakes.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at a magnitude 6.1 at a shallow depth of 26km (16 miles) and its epicentre 104km west-northwest of Mantua, Cuba, about two to four hours by car from the capital Havana.
Monday’s earthquake was unusual for this area of the Caribbean, said Paul Earle, a seismologist at the USGS, noting that the quake occurred within a tectonic plate, where earthquakes are usually more scattered and less frequent than when they occur along plate boundaries.
An earthquake this strong had not hit within 322km (200 miles) of Monday’s quake since 1880, when a 6.0 temblor hit near San Cristobal, Cuba, said Earle.
Authorities have not yet reported any major damage or casualties, but the quake spiked concern in Cuba, where decades of economic crisis have left buildings in severe disrepair. Ongoing widespread blackouts across the region have made communications difficult.
“It felt strong. I had never felt anything like that,” said Yusmila Hernandez, 44, at her home in Pinar del Rio, in western Cuba.
