Seven earthquakes, some of magnitude 4.8, shake Granada and leave three slightly injured

BarcelonaA series of seven earthquakes shook the province of Granada again this Tuesday. In just one hour –between 10:37 a.m. and 11:34 a.m.– numerous tremors occurred, one of which exceeded a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale. Four days after the first one surprised the Andalusian population, each of today's earthquakes had a different epicenter –Gójar, Churriana de la Vega, Alhendín, etc.– and all of them could be clearly felt in the capital. The tremors have left three lightly injured people –including a minor– and an atmosphere of anxiety among the population, tired of the constant low-intensity tremors that have occurred since Saturday, although the vast majority are imperceptible.

The Granada City Council has raised the emergency to phase 1 to offer more resources and strengthen care. In addition, as a result of the earthquakes, the Alhambra museum complex has been evacuated and will be closed all afternoon, as well as public buildings for non-essential services, while authorities call for prudence. About 10 kilometers away, in the municipality of Las Gabias, a hundred homes in five buildings have been evacuated as a precaution while their structure is checked for damage, after cracks have appeared.

Last Friday, the earthquake of greatest magnitude, 4.5, occurred in Alhendín. As then, this Tuesday's earthquakes have caused damage to facades and the fall of furniture elements, such as fragments of plaster, tiles, or pots. Some buildings have been evacuated as a precaution. Numerous residents and tourists have taken to the streets, while emergency services have responded to more than half a thousand calls to the 112 telephone number. The majority of health assistance has been for anxiety crises, but there have also been three injured with trauma from falling pieces of stone or glass.

Experts still do not know if the latest earthquakes in Granada are aftershocks of the main earthquake on Friday night to Saturday or if they are linked to an adjacent fault that has reactivated. The head of seismic prevention and risk at the Andalusian Institute of Geophysics, Mercedes Feriche, explains to Efe that it will be necessary to wait for the seismic series to end – which could last weeks or months – to determine its origin. However, experts are not alarmed and consider that the series should gradually lose intensity. Feriche recalls, however, that Granada is a seismic risk zone with active faults and argues that this must be taken into account in the construction and organization of housing. In this regard, the geologist Manuel Regueiro, former president of the Official College of Geologists, states that "there is nothing abnormal" in the episode of tremors. A study led by the University of Granada concluded that the seismic swarm that affected the Vega de Granada in 2021 did not reach a higher magnitude because the earthquakes were "confined" by nearby faults. These structures prevented seismicity from spreading to other areas and limited the maximum magnitude of the earthquakes to 4.5. Researchers recall, however, that it is not possible to know in advance how a seismic series will evolve: "We do not have a crystal ball or X-ray vision" to know what is happening inside the Earth, Feriche warned.

"Maximum prudence"

The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, has asked for "maximum prudence" in the face of these earthquakes and recalled that experts indicate that seismic movements and aftershocks may continue in the area. "It is important to know how we should act in these situations. Let's follow the advice and maintain our composure, please," he indicated through his account on the social network X. "I want to convey a message of calm, control, and safety," the Minister of Emergencies and Andalusian vice-president, Antonio Sanz, later explained to the media, adding that "the safest place" is home. Andalusian authorities are asking the population that, if their homes have not suffered any incidents, to remain inside, but to stay away from windows and glass.

The Junta will convene the advisory committee of the emergency plan for seismic risk, once the situation assessment progresses, to continue adopting precautionary, self-protection, and prevention measures. Sanz has asked citizens to get information through official channels to avoid rumors and false information. He will travel to visit the affected areas and assess the damage up to Granada, where he plans to make a more definitive assessment this afternoon.

In fact, emergency services and responsible organizations are monitoring seismic activity in the area. The Guardia Civil has deployed personnel to the areas affected by seismic movements to attend to any incidents that may occur and collaborate with the rest of the emergency services. For its part, the Official College of Psychology of Eastern Andalusia continues to offer psychological support to those affected by the Granada earthquakes. This is a free service that has already received more than fifty calls.