Cuban seismologists report nearly 5,800 tremors in two weeks following earthquakes near Pilón

Recent earthquakes near the province of Granma, Cuba, have generated nearly 5,800 aftershocks, severely impacting local infrastructure.

Registro de sismos en las últimas semanas © Cenais
Seismic activity recorded in recent weeks.Photo © Cenais

Two weeks after a foreshock measuring 6.0, followed by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, shook the eastern region of Cuba, particularly Granma province, experts have recorded a total of 5,792 aftershocks to date.

The National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS) stated in its daily bulletin this Sunday that out of the total number of aftershocks, at least 125 have been reported as perceptible.

CENAIS

Exactly two weeks ago, the strong earthquakes, with their epicenter located 40 km southeast of Pilón, Granma, have kept the population of the eastern region on edge.

Due to that seismic activity, which caused significant damage to the school infrastructure in Pilón, around 350 children have had to move to a temporary school set up at a military base with the support of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).

Journalist Jorge Luis Ríos Frías reported on Facebook that the new center, named "Amiguitos de las FAR," is accommodating students from the semi-institutional school Augusto César Sandino, one of the most affected institutions.

Similarly, several residents of Pilón are facing a harsh reality: they continue to live in tents while grappling with uncertainty, fear, and a lack of basic resources.

The government set up tent shelters to accommodate affected families, a measure that faced criticism for its limited scope and the lack of attention to other equally impacted communities.

The United Nations (UN) reported on Friday that it has increased the amount required for its action plan aimed at addressing the severe damage caused in Cuba by the recent impact of two hurricanes, two high-magnitude earthquakes, and a new collapse of the national electric system to $78.3 million (75 million euros).

Initially, the initiative aimed to mobilize 33 million dollars to address the damages caused by Hurricane Óscar, which struck the northeastern tip of the island on October 20, as reported by the EFE agency.

So far, the earthquakes have resulted in ten injuries and at least 3,752 damaged buildings, according to official government figures.

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