Earthquake rattles Granada, injuring three

In the early hours of Tuesday a 4.8‑magnitude earthquake rocked southern Spain, jolting the historic city of Granada and leaving three people lightly injured. The quake’s epicentre was about 10 km south of Granada in the town of Alhendín, and was recorded at a depth of under 10 km.

Residents fled their homes, fearing aftershocks, while falling debris damaged a number of vehicles. Several museums, administrative buildings and sports centres were forced to close, and a number of buildings sustained visible damage.

Historic Alhambra palace shut its gates for the day, and Granada’s metro network cut train speeds to 30 km/h for safety. Local officials warned that further shallow tremors could follow, as the National Geographic Institute reported a series of quakes since last Friday.

“Everything came crashing down,” said a lab worker who was eating in a supermarket. Another resident described the quake as “stronger than the ones we usually feel.” The tremor left no grave injuries but prompted authorities to maintain heightened vigilance.

A policeman stands at a cordoned off street near damaged vehicles following an earthquake in Granada