Jamaica and Cuba suffered huge tremors as the earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea. Online footage shows huge sinkholes in the road at the popular tourist hotspot. The quake struck at 2.36pm local time (9.37pm GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Onlookers in the video can be heard saying: “I can’t believe this. It’s nuts.”
The earthquake was reported about 72 miles northwest of Lucea, Jamaica.
The epicenter of the quake, initially reported as magnitude 7.3 before being upgraded, was between Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba, at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles (10 km).
Tsunami warnings are in place for the area.
READ MORE: Jamaica earthquake mapped: Where did HUGE 7.7 quake hit
The quake was not strongly felt in the Cuban capital of Havana or in Kingston, Jamaica, according to Reuters witnesses.
Meanwhile, Mikhail Campbell, a police media relations officer in the Cayman Islands, said he was not immediately aware of any reports of serious damage.
“Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter along the coasts of Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cuba,” the International Tsunami Information Center said.
The disaster management agency for the Cayman Islands government on Twitter urged people to move away from coastal areas and said that those in low-lying areas should “evacuate vertically” in strong multi-story buildings.
Resident in Miami, Florida also felt the earthquake.
More to follow…