Granada’s treasured Alhambra palace shut with minor damage on Tuesday after a second major earthquake in days sent debris falling and injured three people in the Spanish city, authorities said.<\/p>\n
The 4.8-magnitude earthquake took place at around 10:38 am (0838 GMT) with its epicentre in the town of Alhendin, 10 kilometres (six miles) south of Granada, according to the National Geographical Institute.<\/p>\n
It was the strongest in a series of earthquakes to hit the southern region on Tuesday morning, sending residents rushing out of buildings and into the streets.<\/p>\n
The Alhambra complex, a UNESCO-listed jewel of medieval Islamic architecture which welcomed 2.7 million visitors last year, closed for the rest of the day as a precaution.<\/p>\n
A first inspection found no “significant structural damage” or a “risk of collapse”, said Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region’s top emergencies official.<\/p>\n
But there were “very localised situations” of minor damage to “non-structural elements”, including battlements, plasterwork and decorative elements, he told an evening press briefing.<\/p>\n
“That must be taken into account in terms of visitor safety, but not from the point of view of risk to our incredibly rich heritage,” said Sanz.<\/p>\n
Emergency services said they received more than 500 calls in Granada reporting cracks, falling debris and other earthquake-related incidents, including a dozen requests for medical assistance, mostly for anxiety attacks.<\/p>\n
Three people were lightly injured, including a girl who was taken to hospital, said Sanz, who ruled out “very serious structural damage” to homes which “held up well”.<\/p>\n
Videos posted on social media showed debris strewn on the street, including in the historic centre near the Alhambra, and some damage to cars in the popular tourist city.<\/p>\n
– ‘Terrifying’ –<\/p>\n
“Everything came crashing down. It was terrifying,” Cristina Ruiz Lopez, a lab worker who was at a supermarket in Granada when the earthquake hit, wrote on X.<\/p>\n
Toni Quinones, a social worker in the town of La Zubia about five kilometres southeast of Granada, said on X that “chimneys are falling, causing more serious damage”.<\/p>\n
Granada city hall closed all municipal buildings except for those providing emergency and essential services as a precaution.<\/p>\n
Granada mayor Marifran Carazo urged people to stay at home and “above all, if there is another tremor, avoid going outside and standing alongside buildings”.<\/p>\n
“I know the anguish we experienced this morning, especially among our elderly people and young children, who had never experienced a situation like this before.”<\/p>\n
The quake comes after a magnitude-5.0 earthquake woke residents in Granada shortly after 01:00 am on Saturday, in what officials said was Andalusia’s strongest tremor since 1955.<\/p>\n
No injuries were reported, although some buildings suffered damage.<\/p>\n
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