Sunday, March 21, 2010

5.6 quake rattles Cuba, but no damage or injuries

Posted on Saturday, 03.20.10
5.6 quake rattles Cuba, but no damage or injuries
By Herald Staff and agencies
Gitmo@MiamiHerald.com

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake was reported south of Guantánamo Bay on
Saturday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake, which was also felt in Baracoa, Cuba, and Abricots, Haiti,
occurred shortly after 1 p.m.

The epicenter was out at sea -- about 22 miles south of Guantánamo and
40 miles away from Santiago de Cuba.

The U.S. Navy base located at Guantánamo reported no real damage and no
injuries from the earthquake that rattled the outpost housing nearly 200
war-on-terror prisoners.

"Oh, we felt it,'' Navy Chief Petty Officer Bill Mesta said.

"It shook the buildings. It just shook everything'' across the Navy
base, which covers 45 square miles straddling Guantánamo Bay in
southeast Cuba and includes a port, an airfield and the detention center
that President Barack Obama has not yet managed to empty despite a vow
to do so by Jan. 22.

"But there wasn't any damage, and no injuries. All the power, water, all
the utilities are just fine. There was absolutely no damage at all.''

Mesta added that the aftershock rattled the base nearly 90 minutes after
the quake itself, "while I was sitting in my office trying to write a
message about the first one!''

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/20/1539285/56-quake-rattles-cuba-but-no-damage.html

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