A strong earthquake of magnitude 5 shook the Spanish province of Granada early Saturday morning, waking thousands of people and causing landslides and material damage in various points of the metropolitan area. The quake had its epicenter near Alhendín and was intense enough to be felt in much of Andalusia and, with less force, in more distant places in central and southeastern Spain.
The earthquake occurred around 01:04 hours and particularly affected municipalities close to the epicenter, including Las Gabias, Cúllar Vega, Churriana de la Vega, Armilla, Cájar, Gójar, and Vegas del Genil. The initial measurements placed its magnitude at 4.8, although it was later raised to 5.
Numerous residents of Granada city and different municipalities in the metropolitan belt left their homes in the early morning and stayed in streets and squares for fear that new aftershocks could occur during the night.
The Emergency Service 112 of Andalusia received more than 80 calls related to the earthquake. The reports came from almost all Andalusian provinces and mainly reported landslides, falling elements from facades and roofs, and other material damage.
The Firefighters of Granada had to intervene in various points of the capital. Among them, they went to secure the facade of the Iglesia de la Magdalena, which suffered some damage, and to the Instituto Padre Suárez, where a gargoyle fell onto the street. Detached cornices were also reported in Armilla.
Until the early hours following the earthquake, no injuries had been reported. The Local Police and emergency services continued to check for possible damage in buildings and structures affected by the quake.
The tremor was also felt outside the province. There were reports from various points in Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Almería, and Sevilla, while the movement was felt with less intensity in towns in Ciudad Real and Albacete and even in Madrid.
Streets of Granada
The episode occurred after several hours of seismic activity in the metropolitan area of Granada. During the afternoon of Friday, an earthquake of magnitude 3.7 had already been recorded with its epicenter in La Zubia, followed by smaller movements in Otura and Ogíjares. Just six minutes after the main earthquake, another quake of magnitude 2.6 occurred near Gójar.
The succession of movements raised concerns in a province that in 2021 experienced a significant seismic swarm, with numerous earthquakes concentrated over several weeks.
