Magnitude 5.0 earthquake strikes near Granada, Spain

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck near the southern Spanish city of Granada in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, damaging buildings and cars and prompting authorities to declare an emergency, though no injuries were immediately reported. The tremor, which hit at 1:04 a.m. local time with an epicenter in the municipality of Alhendín, sent residents and tourists fleeing into the streets and triggered more than 200 emergency calls.

Spain's National Geographic Institute (IGN) initially registered the quake at magnitude 4.8 before revising it upward to 5.0. The epicenter was shallow, located approximately 2 kilometers deep. The shaking was felt widely across Andalusia, from the coast of Malaga to provinces like Jaén and Almería. Emergency services in the region received over 80 calls reporting falling objects, shaking furniture, and minor damage such as dislodged roof tiles and pieces of building facades, particularly in areas like Armilla and other parts of the Granada metropolitan area.

Andalusia's regional government immediately activated phase 1 of its seismic risk emergency plan. Antonio Sanz Cabello, the regional government's councillor for the presidency, health,...