A 4.1-magnitude earthquake has struck southern Spain, triggering dozens of emergency calls after the tremor was felt across a popular holiday region frequented by British tourists. The earthquake was recorded by Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN) at 11.59am on Sunday, with its epicentre near the town of Librilla in the Murcia region.
The tremor lasted several seconds and was also reportedly felt in neighbouring Alicante and Albacete. Alicante is a popular destination for British holidaymakers, while nearby Benidorm attracts millions of UK visitors every year. The quake was centred at a depth of around three miles, with the city of Murcia located about 18 miles from the epicentre. Emergency services in the Murcia region said they were flooded with calls after the earthquake. In a post on X, the Region of Murcia’s 112 Emergency Coordination Centre said: “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.”
The institute said there had been seven tremors in the days leading up to Sunday’s earthquake, taking the total number recorded over the past month to 21.
It also said the 4.1-magnitude quake was the strongest recorded in the region during the past six months, surpassing a 2.3-magnitude earthquake recorded on June 3.
The latest tremor comes just days after a powerful 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck Naples, Italy, on Friday, damaging buildings and vehicles and leaving around 20 people injured.
Spain has experienced far more destructive earthquakes in the past. In 2011, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the southern town of Lorca, killing 10 people in what was the country’s deadliest earthquake in decades.
The town, located southwest of Alicante, suffered extensive damage, with several buildings collapsing. Hundreds of residents were forced to leave their homes, while a hospital was evacuated. Cars were also crushed beneath falling masonry.
Southern Spain is one of the country’s most earthquake-prone regions because Andalusia and Murcia sit on the northern edge of the collision zone between the Eurasian and Nubian (African) tectonic plates.
The Nubian plate continues to move northwards towards Eurasia at a rate of around 4mm to 5mm per year.
The movement of the plates, which helped form the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and the Alps in central Europe, still causes seismic activity in southern Spain today.
The activity is concentrated along the Betic Cordillera, a mountain range that stretches from the Gibraltar Arc through Malaga, Granada, Almeria and Murcia to the Mediterranean coast.