Preliminary magnitude-3.3 earthquake felt in two eastern Cuban cities

A preliminary magnitude-3.3 earthquake occurred at 9:21 a.m. on October 6 in eastern Cuba and was felt in Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba. The National Center for Seismological Research, known as CENAIS, placed the epicenter about six kilometers northeast of Niceto Pérez, Guantánamo, at an estimated depth of 24 kilometers. Magnitude and other parameters could be revised as measurements were analyzed.

Enrique Diego Arango Arias, CENAIS research chief, confirmed that the service received reports from people who felt the movement in both cities. The initial technical assessment relied on records from two seismic stations, so the figures were provisional. The center said review of additional data could change calculated values, including magnitude and depth estimates.

The initial report described no property damage or injuries. That account accompanied reports that the movement was perceptible in Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba. The magnitude of 3.3 was the event's first instrumental assessment while the seismic service continued reviewing its parameters. The epicenter was located in Guantánamo territory northeast of Niceto Pérez.

The movement occurred in an eastern region with seismic activity, especially along the southern coast of Santiago de Cuba, Granma and Guantánamo. The Oriente Fault, marking the boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates, lies there. That geological context places the movement in a seismic region without establishing a specific relationship to other earthquakes.

CENAIS figures for 2025 counted 4,535 earthquakes in Cuba, 15 of which were felt. The figure provides context for the difference between movements recorded by instruments and those people perceive. For the October 6 earthquake, public reports received by the service indicated shaking in two eastern cities while review of the initial measurements continued.