Lorraine Williamson
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake with its epicentre near Alhendín in Granada shook large parts of Andalucía during the early hours of Saturday, prompting the regional government to activate its seismic emergency plan.
The tremor was felt well beyond Granada, including across Málaga province, while emergency teams began inspecting damage across the metropolitan area. No injuries have been officially reported.
The main earthquake struck at 1.04 am on Saturday, 15 August, with its epicentre northwest of Alhendín, immediately south of Granada city. The Instituto Geográfico Nacional recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.0 and a depth of approximately 10 kilometres.
The earthquake was particularly strongly felt across Granada and its metropolitan area, but calls to Andalucía’s 112 emergency service also came from Málaga, Almería, Jaén, Córdoba, and Sevilla. More than 80 calls were handled, with no earthquake-related calls recorded from Cádiz or Huelva.
Reports from people who say they felt the earthquake as far away as Coín and elsewhere in inland Málaga are therefore entirely consistent with the wide area in which the tremor was experienced, although Coín itself has not been specifically identified in the official information reviewed by InSpain.news.
The magnitude 5 earthquake was also part of a much wider burst of seismic activity around the Granada metropolitan area. Smaller tremors had already been recorded before the main Alhendín earthquake, including around La Zubia, Gójar, Ogíjares, and Otura, while dozens of lower-magnitude tremors and aftershocks were recorded during the night.
Andalucía activates seismic emergency plan
The Junta de Andalucía activated Situation 1 of the emergency phase of its Seismic Risk Emergency Plan following the earthquake and reports of damage around the Granada metropolitan area.
Emergency services reported cracks in buildings, fallen masonry, damage to façades, and other incidents. Firefighters and police began inspecting and cordoning off affected areas during the early hours of Saturday.
The regional authorities also activated the Grupo de Arquitectos Voluntarios de Andalucía, whose specialists can assist with assessments of potentially damaged structures following an emergency. Inspections have been concentrated particularly around the Granada metropolitan area.
A residential building in Las Gabias was evacuated as a precaution while its condition was assessed. Other incidents included cracks and fallen sections of walls, cornices, and façades.
Despite the material damage, authorities said on Saturday morning that no deaths or injuries had been reported.
Dozens of tremors during the night
The main earthquake did not occur in isolation.
A series of smaller earthquakes had already been detected around the Granada metropolitan area before the magnitude 5 shock. Further tremors then continued afterwards, with the overnight sequence extending across several municipalities south of Granada city.
Early reports initially referred to around 15 aftershocks, but the number of earthquakes recorded across the wider overnight sequence subsequently approached 40, all of lower magnitude than the main Alhendín event.
Experts expect further aftershocks to occur and have compared the pattern with the seismic activity experienced around Granada in 2021. At present, however, inspections have not identified widespread structural damage to buildings.
Granada and the surrounding Vega are among the most seismically active areas of mainland Spain. The region experienced a prolonged earthquake swarm in 2020 and 2021, when hundreds of small and moderate earthquakes were recorded around the metropolitan area.
What to do after an earthquake
Authorities are asking residents to remain calm while remaining alert for further tremors.
People should stay away from damaged façades, walls, balconies, and cornices where objects or masonry could fall. Lifts should not be used immediately following a significant earthquake, particularly where a building may have sustained damage.
Anyone whose property appears to have suffered serious structural damage should avoid entering potentially unsafe areas and follow instructions from emergency services. Immediate danger should be reported to 112.
Further tremors remain possible after an earthquake of this size, although their timing and magnitude cannot be predicted.
Emergency teams are continuing inspections across the Granada metropolitan area on Saturday, while IGN continues to monitor and update the seismic sequence.