A strong one earthquake of magnitude 6.1 hit the island of Cuba at 1.00 pm (local time, 8.00 pm in Italy) yesterday, Monday 8 June 2026, as confirmed by the USGS. The epicenter was located at sea, approximately 104 km from Mantualocated on the west coast of the island; the hypocenter, however, was detected at a depth of approximately 26km. An earthquake of this intensity did not occur within a radius of 322 km from 1880 (so 146 years ago), when a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the area near San Cristóbal, also in the western part of Cuba.
The shock was distinctly felt throughout Cuba – including the capital Havana, where the buildings were evacuated – but also in some areas of the Florida and of Mexico. In particular, in Mexico the earthquake was felt in the tourist areas of Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulumon the Yucatán Peninsula, with residents and workers abandoning buildings as a precaution.
Fortunately, the earthquake did not cause any particular damage or injuries and the US National Weather Service did not issue any tsunami warning following the earthquake.
Concern on the island, however, remains high: in recent years Cuba has been going through a heavy socio-economic crisis, which has worsened further in recent months with continuous blackouts, lack of fuel and basic necessities, such as food and medicines. Electricity cuts, among other things, are making communications even more difficult.
Geologically, the USGS has confirmed an earthquake of this magnitude unusual for this area of the Caribbean: according to Paul Earle, USGS seismologist, the earthquake would have occurred within a tectonic plate, where earthquakes are usually more scattered and less frequent than when they occur along the border areas between plates.
