A powerful earthquake rattles the west of Cuba

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake on the Richter scale shook western Cuba this Monday, according to preliminary information shared by the official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso on his Facebook account.

Alonso published the preliminary data attributed to the CENAIS —National Center for Seismological Research of Cuba— and indicated that the epicenter was located 100 kilometers northwest of Mantua, a municipality in the westernmost part of the province of Pinar del Río.

"6.5 magnitude earthquake. Epicenter 100 km northwest of Mantua, in Pinar del Río. It was felt throughout the western part of the country, particularly in the province of Pinar del Río and Havana. Preliminary information from CENAIS. We will provide updates..." wrote the journalist.

The seismic event was felt across the entire western region of the island, with particular intensity in the provinces of Pinar del Río, Matanzas, and Havana.

At the time of publication, the data was preliminary, and no material damage or casualties were reported. Alonso himself announced that the information would be updated.

An epicenter located 100 kilometers northwest of Mantua —the westernmost municipality in Cuba— would place the focus in the sea, at the northwestern tip of the Gulf of Mexico or the Strait of Florida, which would explain its wide perceptibility throughout the western part of the country.

However, CENAIS reported in the "Last Perceptible Event" section that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.2 Mw, with its epicenter located 142 kilometers northwest of Minas de Matahambre, in Pinar del Río, and at a depth of 20 kilometers.

Western Cuba has historically recorded lower seismic activity compared to the eastern part of the island, where the highest seismicity of the archipelago is concentrated. However, the region is not free from significant earthquakes.

The most recent comparable event was a 6.0 earthquake recorded on April 16, 2020, with its epicenter southwest of Sandino, Pinar del Río, which was felt in several localities of the province without causing any damage.

In June 2021, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake in the west prompted the evacuation of the "Comandante Pinares" Hospital in San Cristóbal and caused minor structural damage.

In February 2025, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the Caribbean Sea was felt from Cienfuegos to Pinar del Río without causing any damage in Cuba, and authorities ruled out the risk of a tsunami at that time.

Most recently, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook eastern Cuba on March 17, making the event this Monday the second significant seismic event registered on the island this year.

The most significant historical earthquake in western Cuba dates back to 1880, with an estimated magnitude of 6.0, according to records from CENAIS, an organization founded in 1992 that operates the National Seismological Service and coordinates with Civil Defense in response to such events.