Magnitude 5 earthquake strikes Granada, damaging buildings but causing no casualties
A rare magnitude 5 earthquake woke residents of Granada in southern Spain shortly after 1:00 AM on Saturday, damaging buildings and scattering rubble through the streets but causing no deaths or injuries.
The quake
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck the metropolitan area of Granada in southern Spain's Andalusia region at approximately 1:40 AM on Saturday, 15 August 2026, according to the National Geographical Institute (IGN). Other sources placed the tremor shortly after 1:00 AM. The epicentre was located in the town of Alhendin, 10 kilometres south of Granada, at a depth of 2 kilometres. The IGN initially estimated the magnitude at 4.8 before revising it upward to 5. The tremor was felt across the entire province of Granada and in the neighbouring provinces of Jaen, Almeria, Malaga and Cordoba.
Damage and emergency response
The earthquake caused material damage but no casualties. Cracks appeared in buildings, cornices and walls collapsed, and rubble littered the streets of Granada, with images shared by Spanish media showing debris and cars with smashed windows. The town of Armilla, south of Granada, was particularly affected, with damage to facades and roofs reported. The 112 emergency service received roughly 100 calls, according to ANSA. The fire service logged 300 calls and carried out 85 interventions, mainly in southern Granada and its metropolitan area. Andalusian emergency services separately reported more than 200 calls from across the region, including from Seville, Cordoba and Costa del Sol resorts.
- Three smaller earthquakes strike the same Granada area
- Magnitude 5 earthquake hits Alhendin, 10 km south of Granada, at 2 km depth (initially estimated 4.8)
- Magnitude 2.6 aftershock recorded with epicentre in Gojar
Official reassurance
Granada's mayor, Marifran Carazo, took to the social platform X to address residents.
No victims nor any serious and widespread structural damage have been reported. Isolated damage is being assessed, particularly in vulnerable buildings.
Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region's top emergencies official, confirmed there was no serious structural or material damage and no casualties. He specified that the Alhambra, Granada's UNESCO-listed medieval Islamic palace and seat of Spain's last Muslim kingdom, had not been affected in any way. Sanz urged continued vigilance as buildings were inspected and aftershocks remained possible, noting that the last earthquake of this magnitude in Andalusia struck in 1955.
There is no serious structural damage, no serious material damage and there are no casualties.
Residents' experience
The quake woke residents across the area in the middle of the night. Marta Mayorga Fernandez, a resident of Huetor Vega, just outside Granada, told public broadcaster RTVE that the shaking was strong enough to wake her household. She reported seeing numerous places where door facades were damaged and said friends shared photos of objects fallen from shelves.
We really felt the shaking, it was so strong that it woke us up. We were here at home panicking a little, in our bodies, my arms were still shaking.
Sanz said a telephone line had been set up to help residents cope with anxiety and nervousness. Emergency services urged the public to stay calm, keep away from facades, cornices, balconies and walls that could collapse, and avoid entering or leaving buildings without good reason.
Seismic context
Small earthquakes are not uncommon in Andalusia, Spain's most populous region, but they rarely reach magnitude 5. The same area had already been hit by three smaller earthquakes on Friday, 14 August. Six minutes after the main tremor, a magnitude 2.6 aftershock was recorded with its epicentre in Gojar.
