Two back-to-back earthquakes struck Cuba weeks after floods and a strong hurricane caused huge damage to the coastal region. An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 shook eastern Cuba on Sunday.
The earthquakes cracked walls and damaged many houses, but no lives were lost in the Caribbean country, reported AP, citing preliminary reports. The recent episode of two storms comes after a week of damage due to Rafael, a category 3 storm that struck the island last Wednesday.
The epicentre of the earthquake was located about 25 miles (40 kilometres) south of Bartolome Maso, Cuba, according to a report by the US Geological Survey.
People in eastern stretch of Cuba also felt the rumbling, 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.
Most people ran out of their houses and onto the streets to find a safe spot. The recent episode of two fresh earthquakes was enough to revive their troubles, which began after the hurricane storm that came last week.
Most of the people sat on their doorways and many stepped out of their house while feeling tremors. Yolanda Tabío, 76, a resident told AP 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.
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 Category 3 storm, Hurricane Rafael, struck the western Cuba. Residents experienced strong winds leading to a massive power outage in the country. The storm also destroyed hundreds of home prompting immediate evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people last week.
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.
