AN earthquake measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale rocked Granada at 12.32am on January 5.
The epicenter was located on the border between the towns of Santa Fe and Chauchina where the locals experienced what they thought was an explosion, including intense noise and movement of the ground.
The emergency services were inundated with calls from worried residents and people spilled out onto the streets to comfort each other.
People reported the breakage of personal items and the shock of feeling beds and furniture moving. The event caused widespread panic but fortunately there are no known casualties.
Tremors were also felt in Granada city, Loja and as far away as the province of Murcia and Málaga city.
The tremors lasted six seconds.
The region is no stranger to seismic shocks. Spain’s National Geographic Institute states Granada experiences an average of three earthquakes each day, although most of these are not strong enough to be noticeable.
In 1884, an earthquake tore through the town of Alhama de Granada destroying 5,000 homes and leaving 800 people dead. The disaster, which created Alhama’s dramatic gorge, is thought to have been the worst of its kind in Spain’s history.
