According to information from Cuba's state seismological institute (CENAIS), Monday the tremors were among the strongest, ever recorded off the west coast of this country. The institute's specialists expressed surprise at the occurrence of such an intense phenomenon in this part of the Caribbean Sea. Initially, the magnitude estimated at 6.5however, after several hours of analysis, it was revised downwards.
The tremors occurred on Monday afternoon local time. The epicenter was 142 km north of the coast of the commune of Minas de Matahambre, located in the province of Pinar del Rio in the west of the island. The hypocenter was located at a depth of 20 km under the sea surface.
Reaction of residents in the earthquake-hit province
The vibrations were felt across a wide area of western Cuba. In the provinces of Pinar del Rio and Matanzas and in the greater Havana area terrified people left their houses and apartments en masse, gathering in the streets. Such a strong seismic phenomenon caused considerable anxiety among residents.
According to local media reports so far, no one was killed or injured by the tremors. Material losses turned out to be limited and mainly consisted of small cracks in the walls of buildings. The authorities have not yet provided information about more serious damage to the infrastructure.
