Sunday, March 21, 2010

Earthquake shakes Cuba ( cnn)

; no reports of damage yet


A 5.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Cuba Saturday at 1:08 p.m. (2:08 p.m. ET)
Quake centered 44 kilometers (27 miles) south-southwest of Guantanamo
Resident in Santiago de Cuba, 57 km (36 miles) from epicenter, feels quake
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Cuba
Earthquakes
Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- A 5.6-magnitude earthquake shook Cuba on Saturday.

The quake struck at 1:08 p.m. (2:08 p.m. ET) 22 kilometers (14 miles) below the surface and was centered 44 km (27 miles) south-southwest of Guantanamo, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

"So far, there haven't been any reports of major damages or injuries," a civil defense official in Havana told CNN nearly an hour after the quake. "It's still early."

There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage in Santiago de Cuba, which is 57 km (36 miles) from the epicenter, but a woman who runs a bed and breakfast there felt it.

"It was very strong," the woman said. "We ran and stood in the doorway. Neighbors were screaming and ran into the street. ... I haven't heard of any damages. Everybody is back inside."

"I don't think there are any damages, at least around here," said Mabel Martinez, who runs another bed and breakfast in Santiago de Cuba. "But people are definitely alarmed."