The Spanish region of Andalusia, home to cities loved by holidaymakers including Seville, Malaga, Grenada and Cadiz, has been hit by an earthquake early on Thursday morning
Alerts have been sent out to phones in Andalusia after the Spanish region was rocked by earthquakes.
The quake had a magnitude of 4.1 and its epicentre was in the town of Cazalla de la Sierra in Sevilla, according to the National Geographic Institute (IGN). Tremors were felt in nearly 200 towns across the provinces of Sevilla, Huelva, Cordoba, and Badajoz.
The IGN reported that the earthquake occurred at approximately 3:29 am on Thursday, at a depth of 10 km. Adrian Torres, the mayor of Cazalla de la Sierra, stated that the earthquake “was felt quite strongly” in the town.
Andalusia is home to cities loved by holidaymakers including Seville, Malaga, Grenada and Cadiz.
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“It was exactly 3.29 in the morning when everything started to shake. We woke up with the tremors and the noise , it was like a washing machine. It lasted for almost a minute. It was a tremendous scare,” E Mendoza, who lives in Constantina , told ABC.
“Immediately an alarm came on the mobile phone , informing us of the earthquake, its magnitude, location and advice on what to do in the event of an earthquake. Of course, the WhatsApp groups immediately started to smoke. Everyone had woken up and was checking that family and friends were okay. I have never been more scared in my life.”
Another local told the publication: “Everything was shaking, even the windows. The feeling of confusion was great, especially because it catches you in the middle of your sleep.”
The 112 Andalusia emergency service received many calls from different points in the affected provinces, with many residents woken in the middle of the night by the shakes.
Large earthquakes are not very common in Andalusia, but the region is susceptible to tremors every now an again, especially in areas close to tectonically active areas.
The peninsula’s proximity to tectonically active areas such as the Gibraltar Belt and nearby fault lines mean that earthquakes do strikes occasionally.
An aftershock hit the same area later on in the morning, although most people did not feel its impact.