By The Opinion
A 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook the western region of Cuba this Mondaywithout reports of personal or material damage so far, according to a preliminary report from the National Seismological Service (Cenais).
The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Caribbean Sea, about 100 kilometers northwest of the Mantua municipality, in the Pinar del Río province, in the extreme west of the island, according to the official Cubadebate media.
The tremor was felt throughout the western third of the island, including Havanaaccording to resident reports, especially in tall buildings.
The US Geological Survey estimated that this earthquake reached a magnitude of 6.1 and placed it 104 kilometers west-northwest of Mantua.
The last earthquake of a similar magnitude in Cuba took place on December 23when an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the open Richter scale shook the Guamá municipality, in Santiago de Cuba (east). According to official data, there were 446 aftershocks and their effects left damage to more than 90 homes and four state buildings.
Two other similar earthquakes occurred in November 2024, in the town of Pilón, in the far east. These earthquakes were 6.0 and 6.7, respectively, which were followed by more than 800 aftershocks.
These two earthquakes left ten people injured and more than 8,600 homes damaged, of which 156 had total collapses and almost 6,000 had minor damage, according to a report by the Cuban Executive.
In 2025, 4,535 earthquakes were recorded on the islandalthough only fifteen were noticeable, according to Cenais data.
The area with the greatest seismic activity in Cuba is the eastern region, specifically along the southern coast of the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Granma and Guantánamo. This high danger is due to its proximity to the Eastern Fault, which marks the tectonic plate boundary between the North American plate and the Caribbean plate.
Cuba is located in a region – spanning from the Dominican Republic to Mexico – in which different tectonic fault systems converge with significant seismic activity.
This Monday a large earthquake occurred on the Philippine island of Mindanao, with a magnitude of 7.8 on the open Richter scale. So far local authorities have identified 35 fatalities and more than a hundred people remain missing. EFE
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