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Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Hits Between Cuba and Jamaica

Associated Press

   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 immediate 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.

   The quake was felt strongly in Santiago, the largest city in eastern
   Cuba, said Belkis Guerrero, who works in a Roman Catholic cultural
   center in the center of Santiago.

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