Back-to-back earthquakes rattle eastern Cuba, president urges caution

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck off the southern coast of Cuba near Santiago de Cuba around midday on November 10, according to reports from the US Geological Survey.

The tremor's epicentre was approximately 24 miles south of Bartolomé Masó, situated in Granma Province, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Preliminary accounts from the affected area indicated some structural damage, though no immediate reports of injuries surfaced. Crucially, no tsunami warnings or threats were issued in connection with the seismic event.

Earlier on November 10, at around 10:50 a.m. local time, the same region experienced a preceding earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9. The tremors were felt widely across eastern Cuba, including in major cities such as Santiago de Cuba.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed on X page that the earthquakes had triggered landslides and caused damage to homes and power infrastructure. 

"Landslides have occurred, damaging homes and power lines," he stated. The president urged residents in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Granma to remain outside and in open areas as a safety precaution, emphasising, "The first and most important thing is to save lives."

The quake left many residents unnerved. Yolanda Tabio, 76 said that "People in Santiago ran out into the streets or sat anxiously in their doorways." She noted that while she felt at least two aftershocks following the main tremor, none of her friends or family had reported significant damage.

Seismic activity came just days after Hurricane Rafael, a Category 3 storm, battered western Cuba on November 6, resulting in power outages across the entire island. This storm followed closely on the heels of Hurricane Oscar in October, which claimed six lives.

Both hurricanes exacerbated the nation’s existing energy crisis, leaving residents grappling with prolonged blackouts.

By Aghakazim Guliyev