TWO earthquakes hit eastern Spain early on Wednesday as residents in Murcia and neighbouring Alicante were jolted awake by the overnight tremors.
The first jolt struck the town of Beniel in Murcia at 2.04am and was felt across more than 60 locations, including Murcia city, Orihuela, Torrevieja, San Javier, Molina de Segura and Pilar de la Horadada.
It registered a magnitude of 3.1 and occurred just 3km underground, according to Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN).
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A second tremor followed at 6.31am, measuring 3.0 and originating around 6km deep.
It was felt in more than 40 places, with reports coming from Murcia, Orihuela, Beniel, Callosa de Segura, San Pedro del Pinatar and several other areas.
Spain’s 112 emergency service received 13 calls from residents in Murcia and Beniel following the two tremors, though there were no reports of damage or injuries.
The quakes came just five days after another tremor shook the same area.
A 3.5-magnitude earthquake struck near Beniel on September 25, with the movement also felt across parts of Murcia and the Vega Baja.
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The Murcia region is one of Spain’s most seismically active areas and has experienced several major earthquakes throughout its history.
The most devastating in recent times struck Lorca in 2011, when a 5.1-magnitude quake killed nine people, injured more than 300 and caused widespread damage.
The latest tremors were far weaker, but their shallow depth meant they were felt across a wide area.
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