Greenville Draper, a geologist from Florida International University (FIU), offered some advice to Cubans living in areas affected by the two earthquakes measuring 6.0 and 6.7 that struck the eastern part of the country on Sunday morning.
Draper explained in an interview with Telemundo 51 that it is wise to avoid sleeping for at least 48 hours in a property that has been damaged by the earthquake.
"There is a main earthquake, followed by smaller tremors. So there may be more to come. I would advise residents to try to avoid being in buildings that may have been damaged by the initial strong quake," he said.
"If there is a building damaged by the main earthquake, the population must be very careful to ensure that the building does not collapse during the smaller aftershocks," warned the geologist from FIU.
"48 hours is probably a good timeframe to remain vigilant [...] So it may not be a good idea to sleep in a damaged building tonight, for example," the expert emphasized.
Draper noted that occasionally there may be larger aftershocks than the main earthquake, but he clarified that "this is not very common."
Dr. Draper explained that, in the last 50 years, the 6.7 magnitude earthquake this Sunday has been one of the 23 strongest in the region.
"Earthquakes occur every day, but large ones happen infrequently; however, it’s the kind of thing one would expect in that region," he noted.
Miguel Díaz-Canel himself advised Cubans to stay in open areas and leave buildings in the moments following the tremors.
Dr. Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the National Seismological Service of Cuba at the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS), warned on his social media that the situation was quite complicated following the occurrence of two earthquakes.
The first tremor occurred at 10:50 a.m., and the second was recorded at 11:49 a.m., at distances of 32 and 48 kilometers, respectively, from the municipality of Pilón in Granma province.
In both cases, the seismic movements occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS).
Cuban authorities stated that there are no reports of injuries, but numerous images from witnesses and affected individuals revealed that there was indeed significant material damage, both to homes and to state facilities such as schools and hospitals.
The Electric Union (UNE) acknowledged that there was damage as a result of both seismic events.
According to the latest report, the main earthquake that occurred this Sunday has had a total of 495 aftershocks.
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