Grenville Draper, a geologist from Florida International University (FIU), has offered some crucial advice to Cubans living in areas impacted by two significant earthquakes measuring 6.0 and 6.7 in magnitude that shook the eastern part of the country on Sunday morning.
During an interview with Telemundo 51, Draper emphasized the importance of not sleeping in any building that was damaged by the earthquake for at least 48 hours. “There’s the main quake followed by smaller shocks. More tremors could occur, and I recommend avoiding structures that might have been compromised by the initial major earthquake,” Draper advised.
The FIU geologist warned, “If a building has been damaged by the main shock, it's crucial for people to be cautious that it doesn’t collapse during the smaller aftershocks.” He further stressed, “48 hours is a reasonable timeframe to remain vigilant, so it might not be wise to sleep in a damaged building tonight, for instance.”
Draper noted that while occasionally aftershocks can be stronger than the initial quake, this is uncommon. He pointed out that in the past 50 years, the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on Sunday is among the 23 strongest in the region. “Earthquakes happen daily, but large ones are rare. However, they are to be expected in this region,” he explained.
Official Responses and Safety Measures
Even Miguel Díaz-Canel advised Cubans to stay in open areas and evacuate buildings immediately following the tremors. Additionally, Dr. Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the National Seismological Service of Cuba at the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS), remarked on social media that the situation was quite challenging after the two quakes. The first tremor occurred at 10:50 a.m., followed by another at 11:49 a.m., located 32 and 48 kilometers from the municipality of Pilón in Granma province, respectively.
Both seismic events took place at a depth of 10 kilometers, as reported by CENAIS. Although Cuban authorities have stated there are no reports of injuries, numerous images shared by witnesses and those affected depict significant material damage to homes and state facilities such as schools and hospitals.
The Electric Union (UNE) acknowledged that damages were sustained due to both seismic events. According to the latest report, the main earthquake on Sunday has resulted in a total of 495 aftershocks.