A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the south-east coast of Spain this morning, sending tremors through more than 50 towns – including popular tourist destinations like Almeria, Costa del Sol and Alicante.
The quake hit at 7:13am local time at a depth of just two kilometres. The epicentre was located a few kilometres off the mainland and around 70km from the city of Almeria.
According to reports, residents and tourists alike felt the ground shake in regions including Malaga, Granada, Jaen, and the Levante area, which covers Murcia, Alicante and Albacete.
The Mail said tremors were described as ‘strong’ and ‘surprisingly long,’ with mobile phone alerts issued to warn residents across the affected areas.
One person wrote on social media: ‘In Roquetas De Mar it was very noticeable and it lasted a few seconds, the whole hotel room was shaking.’
Another local in Almeria described the incident as: ‘Pretty scary to say the least,’ adding that the tremors gave her a ‘rude awakening.’
A separate resident also shared: ‘The whole house shook.’
Despite the strength of the tremor and widespread reports of shaking, there have been no confirmed injuries so far.