Two earthquakes struck within hours across different continents, shaking Iran and the Caribbean in a rare back-to-back seismic event.
The first quake hit off Cuba’s northwest coast on Monday, registering a magnitude of 6.1, according to the US Geological Survey. The second, a magnitude 5.0 tremor, jolted southern Iran’s Hormozgan province early Tuesday.
The Cuba earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 26 kilometres, about 104 kilometres west-northwest of Mantua. Residents in western Cuba rushed outdoors as buildings swayed, while tremors reached Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and parts of Florida. Authorities in Cuba, Mexico, and the US confirmed no casualties or major damage. Emergency teams briefly activated coastal protocols, though no tsunami warning followed.
Seismologists described the Cuba quake as unusual because it occurred within a tectonic plate rather than along a boundary fault. Hours later, Iran’s Hormozgan province experienced a moderate quake near Sargaz at a depth of 22 kilometres. Residents felt brief shaking, but officials reported no injuries or significant destruction.
