Magnitude 5 Earthquake Strikes Granada, Damages Houses and Cars, Rescues People

A magnitude 5 earthquake struck the southern Spanish city of Granada in the early hours of Saturday, hitting the metropolitan area of Alhendín just after 1 a.m. (0000 GMT) and damaging houses and cars while no injuries had been reported.

“"There is no serious structural damage, no serious material damage and there are no casualties"”

Reuters

Reuters said Andalusian emergency services rescued a number of people from damaged buildings and that Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region's top emergencies official, reported "There is no serious structural damage, no serious material damage and there are no casualties," adding the Alhambra had "not been affected in any way".

Blick

The Olive Press described panic in Granada overnight as roads cracked and falling debris crushed cars, with more than 200 calls for help flooding emergency services after the magnitude-5 tremor struck at around 1am on Saturday.

The Olive Press also said the epicentre was in the village of Alhendín south-west of the city and that firefighters were called to inspect more than 100 buildings in Granada and surrounding towns.

In a separate account, the Manchester Evening News said the National Geographic Institute put the quake at exactly 1.04am with a depth of 2km, followed by another at 10km, with a latitude of 37,1147 degrees and -3.6618 degrees longitude.

After the quake, Andalusian emergency services and regional officials urged residents to stay away from hazards, with Antonio Sanz Cabello telling people on X: "If you are in Granada, you have felt the earthquake, you're okay, and your home shows no damage, stay calm and avoid entering and exiting buildings unnecessarily."

The Olive Press added that on the street residents were told to stay away from facades, cornices, balconies, walls, and other elements that could fall, while it reported that some hotels were evacuated as a precaution amid fears over the stability of buildings.

Centre Presse Aveyron

The Manchester Evening News described the earthquakes in Granada as a 'seismic swarm' and said Eduardo Martos, head of Emergencies for the Granada Provincial Council, warned of more aftershocks likely to be between magnitude 3 and 3.5.

In the same report, Martos said "There is no structural damage," and the paper said preventative evacuations took place and people were able to return home.

The New York Times reported that a moderately strong 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck about 5 miles southwest of Granada at 1:04 a.m. Central European time, citing United States Geological Survey data.

Multiple outlets described aftershocks following the main tremor, with the Olive Press saying at least 13 earthquakes were recorded in the wider Granada area in the hours after the main quake, including one measuring 2.6 in magnitude just six minutes later.

“at least 13 earthquakes were recorded in the wider Granada area”

Olive Press News Spain

The Olive Press also said the aftershocks prompted thousands of frightened residents to leave their homes and gather in streets and squares, with some taking chairs, blankets and other belongings outside to spend the night in the open.

In a separate local account, Diario de Mallorca said the magnitude-5 earthquake with epicentre in Alhendín occurred at the 1.04 hours and was the greatest recorded in the zone since 1955, while it reported that dozens of tremors followed and caused more than 200 calls to emergency services.

Diario de Mallorca quoted Lola Berrocal saying, "Yo no he vivido ningún terremoto como el que hubo anoche," and described her experience of the shaking lasting about six u ocho seconds.

The Reuters report said rescue teams were still searching the damaged area on Sunday evening, while the regional government said houses and cars were damaged but no injuries had been reported.