Magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocks Cuba following hurricanes and power outages

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck eastern Cuba on Sunday Weeks of hurricanes and power outages This has left many on the island reeling.

The quake's epicenter was about 25 miles south of Bartolomé Masó, Cuba, according to a United States Geological Survey report.

The rumbling was felt throughout the eastern part of Cuba, including larger cities such as Santiago de Cuba. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The residents of Santiago, Cuba's second largest city, were shocked on Sunday.

Yolanda Tabío, 76, said people in the city were pouring into the streets, still sitting nervously in their doorways. She said she felt at least two aftershocks after the quake, but she had not heard of any damage from friends and family.

“You had to see everything moving, the walls, everything,” she told The Associated Press.

The earthquake comes at another difficult time for Cuba.

On Wednesday, Category 3 Hurricane Rafael ripped through western Cuba, with strong winds knocking out power across the island, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. Days later, much of the island was still without power.

Weeks earlier, in October, the island was also hit by a double whammy. First, there were day-long power outages across the island due to the island's energy crisis. Shortly afterwards, it was hit by a strong hurricane that hit the eastern part of the island, killing at least six people.

The power outages and the general discontent of many people struggling to survive have sparked small protests across the island.