ANDALUCIA has activated its pre-emergency seismic plan after a 4.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Costa del Sol on Friday morning – just two weeks after Cadiz carried out full-scale tsunami drills.
The quake hit at 10.38am with an epicentre in Fuengirola and a depth of 79km, causing widespread shaking but no reported damage.
Antonio Sanz, the regional minister for Health, Presidency and Emergencies, announced the move, adding that calls to emergency services were received from across Malaga, Sevilla and Cordoba within minutes.
The decision triggers Operative Situation 0, the lowest level of Andalucia’s official earthquake response plan.
It is not an emergency declaration.
Instead, it places 112, Proteccion Civil and town halls into a heightened monitoring phase, in which authorities:
• Track aftershocks
• Check for hidden structural issues
• Coordinate information between emergency bodies
• Issue public safety guidance
• Prepare to escalate if anything changes
READ MORE: BREAKING: Costa del Sol rocked by 4.2 earthquake off Marbella — shaking felt in Mijas and Nerja
In practice, the pre-emergency phase means the authorities are on alert and watching the situation closely, even though no damage has been detected.
Residents reported shaking from Malaga city, Velez-Malaga, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Marbella, Alhaurin de la Torre and Fuengirola. Calls also came from Alcala de Guadaira and Constantina in Seville province, and from Puente Genil, Nueva Carteya and Cordoba city.
Sanz shared a 112 video reminding residents to stay indoors during a quake, avoid lifts, keep away from windows and follow official channels for updates.
The alert comes only a fortnight after Cadiz completed tsunami-preparedness drills along its coastline, part of a wider regional effort to improve Andalucia’s readiness for seismic and coastal risks.
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