A 4.1 magnitude earthquake has struck the Murcia region of Spain, with tremors felt across neighbouring areas including Alicante and Albacete. The National Geographic Institute (IGN) logged the quake at 11.59am on Sunday, and it is believed to have lasted for a number of seconds.
The epicentre was located in the town of Librilla at a depth of roughly 3 miles, according to the Mirror, with Murcia lying approximately 18 miles away. Alicante, a destination popular with British holidaymakers who also visit nearby Benidorm, was among the areas where the tremor was reported to have been felt, along with Albacete.
Over 80 calls to emergency services
Emergency services in the region said they received a high volume of calls following the tremor. The 112 Emergency Coordination Centre for the Region of Murcia announced on X: "The 112 Emergency Coordination Centre for the Region of Murcia has received more than 80 calls (...) at various points in the region. So far, no personal or material damage has been reported."
No damage or injuries have been reported in connection with the earthquake, despite the large number of calls from members of the public.
A recent pattern of seismic activity
The quake follows a 4.7 magnitude tremor that rattled Naples, Italy, on Friday, which caused damage to buildings and vehicles and left around 20 people injured.
According to Spain's National Geographic Institute, seven tremors struck the region in the days before Sunday's earthquake, with heightened seismic activity accounting for 21 events over the past month. The 4.1 magnitude quake is the most powerful recorded in six months, surpassing the magnitude 2.3 tremor on June 3.
History of earthquakes in southern Spain
In 2011, Spain experienced its deadliest earthquake in decades, when a 5.2 magnitude quake killed 10 people in the southern town of Lorca. The tremor sent hundreds of locals fleeing as multiple structures collapsed, and lines of cars were crushed under piles of rubble. A local hospital was also compelled to evacuate its patients.
The southern regions of Spain are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. Andalusia and Murcia lie along the northern boundary where the Eurasian and Nubian (African) tectonic plates meet, with the latter moving northward into Eurasia at approximately 4–5 mm annually. This continuous collision, which previously created the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and the Alps across central Europe in earlier geological eras, manifests itself today through the fault lines of the Betic Cordillera - the mountain chain that extends from the Gibraltar Arc in the west, passing through Malaga, Granada, Almeria and Murcia towards the Mediterranean coast.
