Granma newspaper reported that an earthquake of great magnitude and with significant effects in eastern Cuba had not occurred since May 25, 1992.

At that time the telluric movement was 6.9, located in Cabo Cruz, Granma province; therefore, Sunday’s 6.0 and 6.7 tremors set a milestone in Cuba’s seismological history, Dr. Bladimir Moreno, president of the Scientific Council of the National Seismological Research Center (Cenais), told the newspaper.

Both earthquakes were located with epicenters very close to the earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale that affected Pilón in February 1976, and it should be noted that the 6.7 quake has a rupture length in the tectonic fault of approximately 35 kilometers, which means that there will be aftershocks along it.

Moreno specified that aftershocks are expected during the next months, which should decrease as time goes by; however, permanent surveillance is maintained because the occurrence of an earthquake of greater magnitude is not ruled out.

Historically, the eastern region of Cuba registers the largest and most frequent earthquakes in the island and the earthquakes of 1766 and 1852 with an intensity of nine degrees in the city of Santiago de Cuba, which resulted in heavy losses of human lives and considerable material damage, are remembered.

mh/abo/ool/abm