A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the province of Granada in the early hours of Saturday morning, shaking buildings across a wide area of southern Spain and sending frightened residents out into the streets
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
The epicentre was located near Alhendín, in Granada province, with the tremor particularly strongly felt in Granada city and its metropolitan area. So far, authorities have reported no casualties, although a number of buildings, vehicles and streets have suffered minor damage.
Residents woken in the middle of the night
The earthquake struck shortly after 1am, catching most residents while they were asleep.
Across Granada and neighbouring towns, people reported furniture shaking, objects falling from shelves and parts of façades and masonry coming loose. Many residents left their homes and remained outside for some time, concerned that stronger aftershocks could follow.
Videos and photographs circulating on social media show rubble scattered across streets and damage to parked vehicles.
Terremoto de 5.0 epicentro en Granada 🇪🇸 España
Se observan daños en varios edificios. pic.twitter.com/NwjgO8GkDL
— Anonimo.sv (@AnonimoSV503) August 15, 2026
Tremor felt across much of Andalusia
The earthquake was felt far beyond the immediate area surrounding the epicentre.
Emergency services received reports from across Andalusia, with the exception of Cádiz and Huelva. More than 80 earthquake-related calls were initially handled by the regional 112 emergency service.
Reports were particularly widespread across Granada and its metropolitan area.
🇪🇸 BREAKING: MAGNITUDE 5 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES GRANADA, SPAIN — BUILDINGS AND CARS DAMAGED#Earthquake #Granada #Spain #BreakingNews #EarthquakeNews pic.twitter.com/SB0fJWPTEh
— 𝙇𝙐𝙉𝘼 𝙑𝙄𝙎𝙏𝘼 🇵🇸 (@alpserene) August 15, 2026
Inspections under way in several municipalities
Authorities have been carrying out inspections following reports of damage, particularly in Granada city, Ogíjares, La Zubia and Armilla.
According to the information available so far, most of the incidents involve minor damage to non-structural parts of buildings, rather than serious structural problems.
In Alhendín itself, where the epicentre was located, the local council said it was assessing the consequences of the earthquake but had so far recorded no serious damage.
Andalusia activates earthquake emergency plan
The Andalusian regional government has activated the emergency phase, operational situation 1, of its earthquake risk emergency plan in Granada following the magnitude 5.0 tremor.
Emergency services and technical teams remain on alert while buildings and other affected structures are checked.
Residents have been advised to avoid unnecessarily entering or leaving buildings and, when outside, to stay away from façades, balconies, cornices, walls and other structures from which material could fall.
Experts warn of further aftershocks
Experts have warned that further aftershocks are likely, recalling the swarm of earthquakes that affected Granada in 2021.
According to Granada provincial emergency officials, subsequent tremors could reach magnitudes of around 3.0 to 3.5.
By Saturday morning, emergency services had received more than 200 calls and carried out 85 interventions, while officials said there was still no evidence of serious structural damage.
For many residents of Granada, however, the earthquake has brought back unsettling memories of 2021. Authorities are urging people to remain cautious as monitoring continues and further aftershocks remain possible.
