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6.1-magnitude earthquake hits northwest of Cuba, tremors felt across Florida

6.1-magnitude earthquake hits northwest of Cuba, tremors felt across Florida

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According to the USGS, the 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck about 65 miles west-northwest of Mantua in western Cuba.

A powerful earthquake off the northwest coast of Cuba was felt across parts of Florida on Monday afternoon, with residents reporting light shaking from Central Florida to the southern part of the state.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake measured a magnitude of 6.1 and struck about 65 miles west-northwest of Mantua, Cuba, a town located west of Havana.

Following the tremor, people in several Florida cities, including Tampa, Orlando and areas across South Florida, reported feeling the effects of the quake.

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The earthquake occurred at 2 p.m. Eastern, the USGS said. Residents across a wide stretch of Florida reported experiencing mild shaking shortly after the seismic event.

Authorities have not reported any injuries or structural damage so far.

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The National Tsunami Warning Centre said there is no tsunami danger associated with the earthquake.

The USGS noted that the quake struck approximately 65 miles from Mantua, Cuba. The agency had initially assessed the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.4 before revising it downward to 6.1.

The earthquake was considered unusual for this part of the Caribbean, with USGS seismologist Paul Earle noting that it occurred within a tectonic plate, where seismic activity is typically less frequent and more dispersed.

Earle said the quake was the strongest recorded within a 322-kilometre (200-mile) radius since 1880.

While no significant damage or casualties have been reported so far, the tremors raised concerns in Cuba, where years of economic hardship have left many buildings in a deteriorated condition.

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Ajaypal Choudhary

Driven by a deep interest in international politics and geo-economics, Ajaypal Choudhary writes on and analyses a wide range of subjects from geopolitics and the global economy to ...Read More