HAVANA — A magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook eastern Cuba on Sunday, after weeks of hurricanes and power outages left many in the country reeling.
The epicenter of the quake was about 40 kilometers south of Bartolomé Maso, Cuba, according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The roar was felt throughout eastern Cuba, including large cities like Santiago de Cuba. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Residents of Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city, were left reeling Sunday. Yolanda Tabio, 76, said people in the city crowded into the streets and still sat nervously in their doorways. She said she felt at least two aftershocks after the quake, but had not heard of any damage among her friends and family.
“I had to see how the walls and everything moved,” she told The Associated Press.
The earthquake comes at another difficult time for Cuba.
Category 3 Hurricane Rafael struck western Cuba on Wednesday, causing strong winds and power outages across the island, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. Days later, much of the island was still suffering from power outages.
A few weeks earlier, in October, the island had suffered a one-two punch. First, the island’s energy crisis resulted in an island-wide power outage that lasted for days. Shortly after, a powerful hurricane hit the eastern part of the island, killing at least six people.
The power outages and the growing frustration of many struggling to make ends meet have sparked small protests across the island.
