A 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook eastern Cuba on Sunday, after weeks of hurricanes and power outages which left many people on the island in shock.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 25 miles (40 km) south of Bartolomé Masó, Cuba, according to a report from the United States Geological Survey.
The rumble was felt throughout the eastern part of Cuba, including major cities like Santiago de Cuba. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Residents of Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city, were shaken Sunday.
Yolanda Tabío, 76, said city residents were streaming into the streets and still sitting nervously on their doorsteps. She said she felt at least two aftershocks after the quake, but among friends and family she had not heard of any damage.
“You had to see how everything moved, the walls, everything,” she told the Associated Press.
Ariel Ley / AP
The earthquake comes during another difficult period for Cuba.
Category 3 Hurricane Rafael ravaged western Cuba on Wednesday, with strong winds knocking out power across the island, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. A few days later, much of the island was still without power.
A few weeks earlier, in October, the island had also been hit with a double. First, it was hit by island-wide power outages that lasted several days, a consequence of the island’s energy crisis. Shortly after, it was hit by a powerful hurricane that hit the eastern part of the island and killed at least six people.
Power outages and widespread discontent among many people struggling to get by have fueled small protests across the island.
