Rare magnitude 5 earthquake strikes Granada, Spain, damaging buildings but causing no casualties

The tremor

A rare magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the tourist city of Granada in southern Spain shortly after 1:00 am local time (23:00 GMT Friday) on Saturday, 15 August 2026. The epicentre was located in the municipality of Alhendin, 10 kilometres south of Granada, according to Spain's National Geographical Institute (IGN). The tremor woke residents in the middle of the night, with images broadcast by Spanish media showing rubble scattered across Granada's streets and cars with smashed windows.

Andalusian emergency services said in a statement that cracks had appeared in buildings, along with fallen ledges, rubble and collapsed walls. Damage was described as isolated rather than widespread, with assessments ongoing, particularly in vulnerable buildings. Officials urged the public to stay calm, keep away from façades, cornices, balconies and walls at risk of collapse, and avoid entering or leaving buildings without valid reason.

Official assessment

Marifran Carazo, the mayor of Granada, wrote on the social media platform X that no casualties or serious, generalised structural damage had been reported.

No casualties nor any serious and generalised structural damage have been reported. Isolated damage is being evaluated, notably in vulnerable buildings.

Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region's top emergencies official, said the fire service received 300 calls and carried out 85 interventions, mainly in southern Granada and its metropolitan area. Andalusian emergency services separately reported receiving more than 200 calls from across the wider region, including from Seville, Cordoba and resorts along the Costa del Sol.

There is no serious structural damage, no serious material damage and there are no casualties.

Sanz specified that the Alhambra, Granada's UNESCO-listed palace and a jewel of medieval Islamic architecture, had not been affected in any way. He cautioned that buildings were still being inspected and aftershocks remained possible, noting that the last earthquake of this magnitude in Andalusia struck in 1955. A telephone line was set up to help residents cope with anxiety and nervousness following the tremor.

Resident accounts

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.

We really felt the shaking, it was so strong that it woke us up.

She described seeing numerous places where door façades were damaged and said friends had shared photos of objects fallen from shelves.

We were here at home panicking a little, in our bodies, my arms were still shaking.

Regional context

Small earthquakes are not uncommon in Andalusia, the most populated region of Spain, but they rarely reach magnitude 5. Granada is one of Spain's most visited tourist destinations, famed for the Alhambra palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was the seat of Spain's last Muslim kingdom. The city was described as being in shock on Saturday as residents assessed the damage and authorities continued building inspections.