Residents of the Granada metropolitan area went out of their homes again this Tuesday out of “fear and caution” after the province recorded a new seismic sequence with five earthquakes in less than an hour, three of them widely felt by the population and three with magnitudes above 4, as part of the seismic series affecting the area since last August 15. Awaiting further information, for now the regional authorities have reported that three minor injuries have been recorded.
The Andalusian Emergency Agency (EMA 112) reported that the main earthquake was felt in the four eastern Andalusian provinces and noted that it had received more than fifty calls from citizens alerting about landslides, falling facade elements, and the appearance of cracks in various buildings, although so far there is no evidence of personal injuries.
The new earthquake has caused scenes of unease: dozens of citizens have temporarily left their homes
The succession of tremors caused scenes of unease in numerous municipalities of the Granada belt, where dozens of residents temporarily left their homes, offices, and commercial establishments to stay in open spaces for fear of new aftershocks.
One of them was journalist Juan Carlos Montoya ChaTo, who has lived in Granada for almost twenty years, and who told Servimedia that the earthquake recorded at 10:37 a.m. was “the strongest” he has experienced since arriving in the city.
“I was getting ready to go out when a jolt came that lasted barely a second, although it felt eternal. I live on the third floor and absolutely everything moved. Books and various household objects fell. It was much more intense than the one a few days ago,” he recounted.
According to him, after the first earthquake, other movements followed a few minutes later. “Two minutes later another quite strong one was felt and when I was already on the street it shook again. Everyone left the buildings because the scare was enormous,” he said.
Montoya described scenes of concern among neighbors. “There were children at the pool who ran out in swimsuits very scared. What impresses the most is that, even if you know the civil protection recommendations, when the ground shakes the only thing you think about is for it to end as soon as possible,” he pointed out.
The Granada resident also said that some housing developments continue to experience issues from the magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded on August 15. “In my building, we still don’t have an elevator since then and today there was another power outage for several minutes,” he indicated.
“Even if you know the civil protection recommendations, when the ground shakes the only thing you think about is for it to end as soon as possible”
“I have been living in Granada for almost twenty years and I had never felt such a strong earthquake. Current constructions are prepared to withstand this type of episodes, but the fear you go through is very difficult to describe,” he concluded.
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The new seismic sequence occurs just four days after the magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded during the early hours of Sunday with an epicenter in Alhendín, considered so far the strongest movement of the active seismic series in the Granada metropolitan area. That earthquake was felt in more than 500 localities and caused minor material damage in various municipalities.
According to the latest IGN report, the series that started last Saturday had accumulated more than 350 earthquakes so far, of which at least 37 were felt by the population. Specialists place the seismic activity between the Dílar, Granada, and Belicena-Alhendín faults, one of the areas of greatest tectonic activity in the Iberian Peninsula.
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Civil Protection of Granada and the Andalusian Emergency Agency have asked the population to remain calm and follow only the information disseminated through official channels in case of new aftershocks. They also reminded the convenience of staying away from facades and elements that could fall, avoiding the use of elevators, and following self-protection recommendations in case of new seismic movements.
The Official College of Psychology of Eastern Andalusia (COPAO), in collaboration with Emergencies 112 Andalusia, maintains the psychological support service for people affected by the earthquakes recorded in recent days in Granada.
Specialized professionals offer psychological help to those most distressed
Since the device was launched last Saturday, more than fifty calls have been attended by specialized professionals.
After the new earthquake recorded this Tuesday, with an epicenter in Gójar, and the subsequent aftershocks felt by the population, COPAO has reminded that the toll-free number 900 102 513 remains operational.
This is a number set up to offer psychological support to those experiencing episodes of anxiety, fear, stress, or other emotional reactions related to the tremors.
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