Cuba rocked by strongest earthquake in nearly 150 years

The strongest earthquake in nearly 150 years has struck off the northwest coast of Cuba. The quake was felt not only in Cuba but also in parts of Mexico and Florida in the United States. The magnitude 6.1 earthquake, which struck on Monday (June 8) local time, was reported.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicenter of the earthquake was about 104 kilometers west-northwest of the Cuban city of Mantua. The tremor was also felt significantly in the capital Havana. The event attracted special attention because it was felt in areas where earthquakes usually occur very rarely.
Paul Earl, a seismologist at the USGS, said Monday’s earthquake was unusual for the Caribbean region. The earthquake occurred within a tectonic plate, where earthquakes are more scattered and less frequent than those that usually occur along plate boundaries. Earl said Monday’s quake was the strongest within a 322-kilometer (200-mile) radius of the quake since 1880, when a magnitude 6.0 quake struck near San Cristobal, Cuba.
Authorities have not yet reported any major damage or casualties. But the quake has raised concerns in Cuba, where decades of economic crisis have left buildings badly damaged. Mass power outages have disrupted communications across the region. “The earthquake was so strong. I’ve never felt anything like it before. Everyone ran outside in fear. I can’t describe it. It was like an earthquake like this has never happened here before,” said Yusmila Hernandez, 44, from her home in Pinar del Rio in western Cuba, the USGS said. Tremors were also felt in Florida. Tremors were also felt in the tourist resorts of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. A state of emergency has been declared in the Mexican states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo. But the governors of the two states said on social media that no damage had been reported so far.
No tsunami warning or watch was issued after the earthquake, according to the US National Weather Service.