A 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook the western part of Cuba this Monday at 2:00 PM local time, causing widespread alarm among the residents of Havana and other western provinces of the country.
According to data from the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS), the epicenter was located 142 kilometers northwest of Minas de Matahambre, in Pinar del Río, at a depth of 20 kilometers, in waters off the northwestern tip of the Gulf of Mexico.
A preliminary report released by journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso had indicated the magnitude at 6.5 degrees on the Richter scale and the epicenter located 100 kilometers northwest of Mantua; the CENAIS later adjusted both parameters.
The seismic event was felt in dozens of neighborhoods in Havana: Old Havana, Centro Habana, Vedado, Nuevo Vedado, Playa, Luyano, Guanabacoa, Lawton, Alamar, Santos Suárez, El Cotorro, Regla, Cerro, and Boyeros, among others.
It was also felt in Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Mariel, Bahía Honda, Consolación del Sur, Güines, Cabañas, and the Isle of Youth, and even users from Cancun, Mexico, and Miami, Florida, reported having felt it.
Many Havana residents were caught off guard during the afternoon nap and described a bewildering experience: beds, chairs, and tables moving without apparent explanation.
I felt it, I thought the building was going to collapse, a user from Havana commented on the post by Facebook from CiberCuba. “The bed was shaking... Nuevo Vedado, 8th floor,” recounted another.
"I was lying down and felt it in my neck, like a muscle was shaking. I had no idea. It lasted a few seconds. I live in Playa," recounted a local resident. "I felt it and ran down barefoot with my sleeping child," wrote another Havana native.
Residents of high-rise buildings reported a more intense sensation, and several users warned about the possibility of aftershocks: "Stay calm as the aftershocks are coming, keep away from the building".
The event did not leave indifferent those who already live under the pressures of the structural crisis in Havana, where the deterioration of the housing stock is critical in Centro Habana and Habana Vieja.
«Now the buildings in Centro Habana and Habana Vieja are finally collapsing», wrote a user, while another summarized the collective mood: «This was the last thing missing: no electricity, no water, no food, no life, and now an earthquake comes.»
As of the time of publication, authorities reported no material damage or casualties, and the risk of a tsunami was ruled out.
This is the second major earthquake in Cuba in 2026, following the 6.0 magnitude quake that struck the eastern part of the island on March 17, triggering a seismic crisis with over 800 aftershocks and damage to homes in that region.
The western region of Cuba has historically experienced less seismic activity than the eastern part, but the most recent comparable event was a 6.0 earthquake recorded in April 2020 with its epicenter southwest of Sandino, Pinar del Río, which did not cause any damage.
In June 2021, a tremor with a magnitude of 5.1 in Artemisa forced the evacuation of the Comandante Pinares Hospital in San Cristóbal and caused cracks and minor structural damage.
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