Great Earthquakes In Diverse Places
Large Earthquake strikes Guantanamo, Cuba
Reuters
Saturday, March 20, 2010; 3:25 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck near the U.S.
naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba, on Saturday, but officials said there
was no damage reported.
The quake was centered 27 miles southwest of Guantanamo and had a depth
of 14 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
A magnitude-5 quake can cause considerable damage, but Chief Petty
Officer Bill Mesta, a spokesman at the base, said there was none
reported.
There was no tsunami warning issued for the region.
The U.S. base in southeastern Cuba was used to transport supplies and
personnel to the aid effort after the devastating 7.0-magnitude January
12 quake in Haiti, about 200 miles away.
A prison on the base, set up for terrorism suspects after the September
11, 2001, attacks, still houses 188 detainees. President Barack Obama
pledged in January 2009 to close the controversial prison within a
year, but his efforts to shutter the facility have been hampered by
legal and political hurdles.
(Additional reporting by Matthew Bigg in Atlanta)
(Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Eric Beech)