Aftershocks rattle Spain’s Granada overnight

At least 10 earthquakes struck Granada in southern Spain overnight, authorities said on Wednesday, continuing seismic activity that began in the region five days ago and has caused light injuries and damage to buildings.

Many shops, churches and museums were closed while the local government shuttered offices as a precaution. Local media reported some residents fled to the coast while others opted to stay outdoors for fear of structures collapsing.

The strongest quake of the sequence was of magnitude 3.4 at 10.35pm on Tuesday, with its epicentre in Ogijares, 7km south of Granada city, according to the National Geographic Institute.

It was followed by nine tremors between 1.5 and 2.5 magnitude and dozens of smaller aftershocks.

Health services said they treated 14 cases, mostly panic and anxiety attacks, and more than 500 calls were made to emergency services. About 600 people were evacuated from apartment blocks that required inspection, Andalusian official Antonio Sanz told reporters on Tuesday.

“There’s clearly no imminent danger and the public hasn’t been at risk,” Sanz said, adding it was not yet possible to determine the full extent of the damage, though preliminary assessments suggested it was limited to cornices and facades rather than serious structural issues.

Paqui Valero, a resident of Albolote on Granada’s outskirts, told local newspaper Ideal she and her partner abandoned work to drive south with their two children on a jammed highway.