Granada and its metropolitan area have accumulated 40 earthquakes during the early hours of this Saturday, tremors that have been added to the one of magnitude 5 with epicenter in Alhendín that was recorded at 1:04 a.m., and that have caused material damage that will be analyzed on a day marked by storms. It is the largest earthquake recorded in the area since 1955.
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The National Geographic Institute (IGN) has recorded forty tremors after the main one in Alhendín, an earthquake that has caused more than 200 emergency calls and material damage, but no injuries.
So far, the tremor has caused landslides, falling elements from facades and roofs, and damage in different points of the metropolitan area of Granada such as Armilla, where material damage has been recorded.
The president of the Andalusian Government, Juanma Moreno, has called this Saturday for “calm” and “great caution” after a night “of alarm and unease” due to the earthquake.
“Night of alarm and unease in Granada with a magnitude 5 earthquake that has caused some material damage and has been felt in several provinces. Calm, great caution with any damaged cornice or facade that could still fall, and please, let’s all follow the recommendations. Very attentive,” he stated through his profile on ‘X’.
LEVEL 1 EMERGENCY
The Andalusian Government has activated the emergency phase, operational situation 1, of the Seismic Risk Plan due to the 5-magnitude earthquake with epicenter in Alhendín (Granada) recorded in the early hours of this Saturday.
The Minister of Presidency, Health and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, has announced the activation of this phase due to the magnitude of the earthquake.
The regional government advises the population to remain calm and avoid entering and leaving buildings, as well as other preventive measures such as staying away from facades, cornices, balconies, or walls due to the possibility of landslides.
The IGN records the different points from which the population has felt the effects of the earthquake thanks to reports from neighbors who have communicated falling objects, movement of furniture, or shaking of doors and windows from almost all municipalities of Granada and its metropolitan area.
This earthquake has also been felt in towns in the northern part of the province such as Huéscar; in Almuñécar, Salobreña, and Motril, on the coast; in the west and in the Alpujarra.
Additionally, the tremor has been noticed in towns of Jaén such as Alcalá la Real, Linares, or Jódar; in coastal towns of Almería such as the capital, Roquetas, El Ejido, or Adra, and on the coast of Málaga, from Fuengirola or Torremolinos to Vélez, as well as Córdoba capital.
According to the IGN, the tremor has also been felt, although with less intensity, in points of Puertollano, Ciudad Real, Albacete, or even Madrid.
Six minutes after the earthquake with epicenter in Alhendín, a 2.6-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter one kilometer deep in Gójar was added.
On Friday, three other earthquakes were recorded in the same area of the metropolitan area of Granada of lesser magnitude but that also alerted the population.
Armilla opens parks and a sports complex to neighbors scared by the earthquake
Many neighbors took to the streets for fear of being trapped in their apartments, especially those living in taller buildings. The night has been long throughout the province of Granada and in some towns like Armilla, spaces have even been enabled to accommodate all those who did not want to return to their homes. In addition to the tremors, strong storms have also made an appearance to add more drama to the atmosphere. “After the eclipse, this is starting to look a lot like the end of the world,” says Francisco, a resident of Huétor Vega, laughing.
There, neighbors who were afraid to return to their homes gathered in squares and open spaces, a scene that has been repeated in other municipalities of the metropolitan area of Granada and in the capital.
On the other hand, the City Council of Granada has reported in a statement that no serious or widespread damage has been reported. The incidents reported so far mainly correspond to minor damage to non-structural elements, which, in principle, do not pose a risk to the physical integrity of people, according to the City Council of Granada.
Some more significant damage has also been reported and is being evaluated, especially in vulnerable buildings or those with previous pathologies, although there are no indications to speak of widespread structural damage.
Damage inspections
The City Council of Granada reported this Saturday that inspection requests as a result of the earthquake are mainly concentrated in the southern area of the capital and in the municipalities of Ogíjares, La Zubia, and Armilla.
The incidents reported so far mainly correspond to “minor” damage to non-structural elements, which “in principle, do not pose a risk to the physical integrity of people,” as emphasized in a press release.
Likewise, “some more significant damage” has been reported and is being evaluated especially in “vulnerable buildings or those with previous pathologies.” “At this time, there are no indications to speak of widespread structural damage. The seismic movements recorded during this Saturday and in previous days “seem to be preliminarily related to the same fault zone.”
Given the possibility of new earthquakes, Civil Protection has reminded that “it is not possible to make a deterministic prediction of these phenomena.” Therefore, it should not be assumed that another earthquake will occur, although the occurrence of aftershocks or other seismic movements cannot be ruled out either.
Civil Protection recommends that citizens remain calm and act with serenity; follow official self-protection recommendations; avoid spreading unverified information; and consult exclusively official sources and verified information channels, especially those of the City Council of Granada and the Local Civil Protection Service.