Magnitude 7.7 quake hits Caribbean off Jamaica

A sinkhole is surrounded by police tape after it appeared when a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba, at Public Beach on West Bay, Grand Cayman on Jan. 28, 2020. AP
A sinkhole is surrounded by police tape after it appeared when a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba, at Public Beach on West Bay, Grand Cayman on Jan. 28, 2020. AP

HAVANA – A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond, but there were no reports of casualties or heavy damage.

The quake was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140 kilometers (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It hit at 2:10 p.m. (1910 GMT) and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface.

Dr. Enrique Arango Arias, head of Cuba’s National Seismological Service, told state media that there had been no serious damage or injuries reported on the island. (AP)

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