Cuba News and Information

Orlando Guevara Núñez | Granma

SANTIAGO DE CUBA - An earthquake measuring 6.1 degrees on the Richter scale and five in intensity, at 3:54 pm on February 4, interrupted residents’ Sunday relaxation or enjoyment of the baseball All Stars Game.

Although they are more or less used to such quakes, given that the territory has the largest seismic activity in the country, their occurrence always affects the population.

Giving details of the natural phenomenon, Major Hernán Nieves Moya, chief of the provincial Civil Defense body, explained that the earthquake had its origin 157 kilometers south of the city of Manzanillo, Granma province, at 19.56 latitude North and 78.46 degrees West at a maritime depth of 25 kilometers.

The location of the quake, he noted, was west southeast of Cabo Cruz, Niquero, at 82.5 kilometers off the coast. However he said that it was perceptible in all the eastern provinces plus Camagüey.

To date, no human or material damage has been reported in Santiago de Cuba.

Recently, Santiago people have been talking a lot about quakes, because 75 years ago on February 3 one occurred that caused much damage to the city. That day was also the 15th anniversary of the founding of the National Seismological Research Center (CENAIS), located in this city.