Locals and tourists in Spain woke up to an ‘incredible roar’ as buildings in 50 towns and cities shook
An earthquake has hit 50 towns and cities in Spain this morning including Costa del Sol and Alicante.
The earthquake, registered as ‘strong’ has hit parts of the country most popular with sunseekers.
Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN) registered the quake shortly after 7am this morning, with the tremors affecting areas popular with British holidaymakers.
The earthquake, which has a magnitude recorded of 5.5, has been felt by people in hundreds of homes so far, leaving locals shocked.
Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here
The areas affected include Granada, Málaga, Jaén, Murcia, Alicante and Albacete.
One tourist recalled the moment the earthquake hit her home.
She told El País: “I was sleeping, and the whole house shook for a few seconds.
“There was an incredible roar. It woke up my entire family and the neighbours in the complex.”
One man said on Facebook: “Just felt the tremors of an earthquake off the coast of Almeria. Reports say 5.2 magnitude. It woke me up. Bed shaking and we are 100 kilometres from its centre. Scary.”
Another person wrote a post via an expat group. He said: “Who felt the earth quake this morning at 7.10am? It was the biggest one in 23 years in Almeria.”
Residents were startled as a warning was issued to their mobile phones in Almeria and Granada.
Earthquake alerts usually advise people to put their shoes on immediately, check for the smell of gas, and evacuate if the building looks like it could collapse with cracks, reports The Mirror.
According to the team at VolcanoDiscovery, the impact was magnified by its shallow depth.
The website stated: “The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicentre than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.”
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE