The National Seismological Research Center reported two earthquakes of great intensity (6 and 6.7 on the Richter scale) shook eastern Cuba today followed by several aftershocks.

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.- According to Enrique Arango, the center’s director, the epicenter of the first event was located in the sea about 47 kilometers south of Pilón, a coastal town in Granma province, at a depth of 14.2 kilometers.

The expert told Cuban television that the authorities of Santiago de Cuba and Granma, the hardest hit, were still assessing the damages caused by such powerful events and that information would be available to the Cuban people.

Authorities in Granma confirmed to Cuban television that houses and other buildings of various sizes were damaged but no human casualties had been reported. They urged people living in mountainous areas to be vigilant, especially because of the landslides that could occur under such conditions.

The tremors were felt in Santiago de Cuba, other eastern provinces, and Ciego de Ávila, in the center of the island, although to a lesser extent.

The expert explained that the tremors were also felt in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, and the US outlying islands.

The seismological education and discipline emphasized in Santiago de Cuba proved effective, in response to the unexpected tremor. According to CMKC provincial radio station, most of the city's population reacted with serenity and calm.

The seims have been the most strongly felt in this Levantine region of Cuba. They happened after Hurricane Oscar caused havoc in the eastern province of Guantánamo and Hurricane Rafael in the western provinces of Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Pinar del Río, and Isle of Youth. (PL)