Havana, December 23 (RHC) -- An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 on the Richter scale shook eastern Cuba at 1:00 a.m. on Monday, December 23, and according to preliminary data from the National Seismological Service it was located about 35 kilometers (km) southwest of the town of Chivirico, head of the Santiago municipality of Guamá.

The reports of perceptibility have occurred mainly in the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, in addition to Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila; according to the precisions, the telluric movement occurred at 19.77 degrees north latitude and -76.61 degrees west longitude at a depth of 9.0 km, causing slight damage in Providencia, Granma, but not to human lives. This is the 137th perceptible earthquake of the year.

The National Center for Seismological Research (Cenais) constantly monitors seismic activity and urges the population to stay informed through official channels.

The head of the National Seismological Service, Doctor of Science Enrique Arango, director of Cenais, explained that the 6.1 earthquake "is not a replica of those that occurred south of Pilón, in Granma; more than 60 aftershocks are reported, two perceptible, the largest of magnitude 3.8." 

After last November 10 - when strong earthquakes were registered south of the Granma town of Pilón, which damaged the infrastructure, although there was no loss of human lives - thousands of earthquakes followed, and more than a hundred perceptible. (Source: Granma)

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