5.0 Earthquake in western Cuba

At 15:57 (local time) this Thursday, the Cuban National Seismological Service Network Station reported a perceptible earthquake located at 23.39 North and 80.99 West, at 73.7 Km Northeast of Varadero, with a depth of 20 km and with a magnitude of 4.9 on the Richter scale, according to Griselda Despaigner, specialist of the Central Station of the aforementioned institution.

So far, there have been reports of visibility in Havana, Matanzas and Villa Clara provinces.

In Havana the quake was felt in the area of Jose Antonio Echeverria Polytechnic Higher Institute (ISPJAE by its Spanish acronym), so students and teachers were evacuated.

The floor began shaking. Nothing fell down, only a vibration was felt at about 4:05 pm. Students of the highest building of the Civil Engineering Faculty evacuated themselves, Raquel Quiroga Riverón, who is in charge of Protocol activities in the institution, told Trabajadores newspaper.

There have not been reported human or material damages.

Experts from the National Center for Seismological Research of Cuba are working in processing additional information on these events.