Cuba Rocked by More than 400 Earthquakes in One Day
HAVANA, Jan. 19th On Sunday, Cuba was rocked by a total of 452 earthquakes, 19 of them which were felt by residents of the country who panicked at the thought of having massive damages in infrastructure, and even loss of lives.
A LaRed21 report indicated that of the strongest jolts recorded a 4.8 and a 4.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale.
It added that the wave of earthquakes had its epicenter 40 kilometers south of Santiago de Cuba.
But Havana Times said that one of the tremors even reached a 5.0 magnitude, adding that the first was recorded at around 1:30 a.m.
The country was in a panic early in the morning as journalists and radio stations reported the ground shaking, with bulletins issuing a warning to the public.
But some even went beyond the real situation as Havana Times added that there were reporters who reportedly observed cracks and fallen walls in the neighborhood of New Van Van.
The Civil Defense Authority was quick to refute the claims at around 6 a.m., explaining that there were no noted building collapses caused by the earthquakes.
The agency, through head Lt. Col. Gustavo Alvarez Matos, advised residents not to proceed to the ground floor of the buildings on their own. The people were told to proceed to open spaces like the Ferreiro Park.
Many followed the instructions of the Civil Defense Authority, and proceeded to the park with their bags and suitcases.
Aside from these precautions, Matos also told people to close their gas tank valves and turn off any electrical appliances inside their homes.
Cuba Journal noted that there were no reported damages or injuries as of Monday because of the earthquakes.
Despite the lack of casualties, injured or damage to properties, National Center of Seismological Research technological deputy director Dr. Enrique Arango Arias told LaRed21 that having this number of earthquakes in a single day is not normal.
“We must be vigilant,” he added.
As for response actions in case of a strong quake, the country has already activated various sectors who are prepared to respond to any destructive effects of the possible natural disaster.
It was added in the Cuba Journal report that the seismic activities were the first since light quakes were noted in the country and the Florida Keys, two years ago.
But the same report said that this is not surprising, since the country is “a seismically active region.”
Last year, La Red21 noted that more than 5,000 earthquakes were listed in Cuba, mostly on the south and eastern sections of the country.
http://www.latinone.com/articles/30877/20160119/cuba-rocked-more-400-earthquakes-one-day-civil-defense-high.htm