Powerful quake strikes the Caribbean

A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck south of Cuba and north-west of Jamaica, the US Geological Survey said.

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake has hit south of Cuba and north-west of Jamaica, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

It was centered 139km (86 miles) north-west of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140km (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba.

It hit at 2.10pm local time (7.10pm Irish Time) and the epicentre was a relatively shallow 10km (six miles) beneath the surface.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Prelim M7.7 Earthquake Cuba region Jan-28 19:10 UTC, updates https://t.co/6WL9oVd7Rl

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) January 28, 2020

The quake could be felt strongly in Santiago, the largest far-eastern Cuban city, said Belkis Guerrero, who works in a Catholic cultural centre in Santiago

“We were all sitting and we felt the chairs move,” she said. “We heard the noise of everything moving around.”

She said there was no apparent damage in the heart of the colonial city.

“It felt very strong but it doesn’t look like anything happened,” she told The Associated Press.

The USGS initially reported the magnitude at 7.3.