6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of eastern Cuba

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, causing material damage in several regions as the island continues to recover from widespread blackouts and the impact of two hurricanes over the past few weeks.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, causing material damage in several regions as the island continues to recover from widespread blackouts and the impact of two hurricanes over the past few weeks. The earthquake was reported about 39 km (24 miles) south of Bartolomé Masó before noon local time, about an hour after a 5.9 magnitude quake rocked the area, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. “There have been landslides, damage to homes and power lines,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said, adding that authorities are evaluating the situation to start recovery efforts. Pictures of Granma Province published by the state-run outlet Cubadebate showed buildings with cracks on the walls and piles of debris littering the ground. The municipality of Pilón has suffered “a lot of damage,” according to Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the National Seismological Service of Cuba. “I can’t answer messages or phone calls. I haven’t been able to post. The situation is quite complicated,” he said on Facebook.