Magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes southern Spain, injuring 3 and damaging buildings

At least three people have suffered minor injuries, and several buildings have been damaged after a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck southern Spain on Tuesday morning. Andalusian regional official Antonio Sanz said one of the injured, a minor, was taken to hospital.

According to Spain's National Geographic Institute (IGN), the earthquake occurred at 10:37 local time (08:37 GMT) at a depth of less than 10 km, around 10 km (six miles) south of the historic city of Granada. The epicentre was initially placed near the town of Alhendín before specialists revised the location to neighbouring Gójar; Reuters reported the main shock at magnitude 4.7. The IGN said it was the latest in a series of very shallow tremors that have affected the region since last Friday and have been widely felt by residents. It followed a stronger earthquake, initially reported at magnitude 5.0, that shook Granada in the early hours of Saturday.

The tremor caused concern among residents, with many people leaving their homes and gathering in the streets because they feared further, stronger aftershocks. Falling debris also damaged several vehicles, while some museums, administrative buildings and sports facilities were temporarily closed. Primary health centres remained open.

Residents described the shaking as unusually strong. Alfonso Malpica, who felt his ground-floor flat in Granada shaking, told the Spanish newspaper El País that the tremor was stronger than the occasional quakes people in the area have grown used to. Cristina Ruiz López, a laboratory worker who was in a Granada supermarket when the earthquake hit, described the experience as terrifying, saying that objects came crashing down around her.

The Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its medieval Islamic architecture, was among the sites affected. Tourist access to parts of the hilltop complex was restricted: the Alcazaba, its oldest section, was evacuated, and access to the Nasrid Palaces was suspended. Site administrators said the monument would remain closed for the rest of the afternoon while their team assessed the situation. The Alhambra received 2.7 million visitors last year, making it one of Spain's most visited landmarks.

Granada's metro system also introduced temporary safety measures, reducing train speeds to 30 km/h (19 mph) as a precaution while checks were carried out.