Earthquake rattles Cuban capital Havana

A strong earthquake struck off the coast of western Cuba on Monday, with AFP journalists in Havana reporting 20 seconds of shaking that forced Cubans out of buildings and into the streets.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake was 6.1 magnitude and struck about 62 miles (100 kilometers) off the island's western tip.

No injuries or significant damage were recorded.

People milled around Havana's city center, checking their phones after the tremor which according to Cuban authorities was felt "throughout the entire west of the country."

"At first I just felt dizzy -- it didn't occur to me it was an earthquake, I'd never experienced that before," Carmel Delgado, a 47‑year‑old economist, told AFP.

"But once we realized what it could be, we got out quickly."

AFP reporters as far away as Florida also felt the tremble.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center ruled out a significant tsunami threat following the quake.

But there was a "very small possibility" of tsunami waves along the coasts located near the epicenter, it said.

Francis Ruiz, a 41-year-old actor, was recording a radio drama in a fifth-floor studio in Havana's historic center when he felt the tremor.

"We were recording in an office and all of a sudden the table moved and we all looked at each other," Ruiz told AFP.

"The building shook, and right then chaos broke out, everyone running down the stairs," he added.

AFP