A 5.1 magnitude earthquake has shaken parts of southern Spain and Portugal, including many areas popular with British holidaymakers. The quake was recorded in northern Morocco on Monday night (February 10), with tremors felt across Andalusia, particularly in the Campo de Gibraltar in the Cádiz region, as well as in Portugal’s Algarve, local media reports say.
The Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN) reported the epicentre near the town of Ksar el-Kebir, in Morocco’s Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, at a depth of 34 kilometres, reports Europa Sur. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties.
Among the areas affected were the Algarve and Seville. The former is a well-known tourist hotspot, while the latter is popular with Brits for city breaks.
The quake registered as intensity II and III, indicating weak or slight intensity, in many parts of southern Spain and Portugal, reports La Vanguardia. This included Seville, Cádiz, Málaga, Huelva, Jaén, Córdoba, and southern Portugal (Algarve).
Residents in Campo de Gibraltar took to social media to share their experiences. The 112 emergency services line for Andalusia received five calls from concerned citizens in the early hours of Tuesday morning (February 11).
The reports from citizens included four in the Seville region, with two from the capital and one each in Mairena del Alcor and Mairena del Aljarafe, with an additional report in Huelva’s Bollullos Par del Condado. A devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco in September 2023, with 3,000 individuals killed and some 56,000 homes affected.
Earthquakes ranging from 5.0-5.9 on the Richter scale are categorised as ‘Moderate’, capable of causing some structural damage, while those between 6.0-6.9 are deemed ‘Strong’, posing a significant threat to built-up areas. The Greek island of Santorini was rocked by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake on Monday (February 10), with tremors felt as far away as Athens.
The popular tourist spot has been experiencing high levels of seismic activity of late, with thousands of quakes recorded by the University of Athens’ Seismological Laboratory since January 26. This has resulted in some landslides, prompting locals to patrol hazardous areas and discourage tourists from approaching cliff edges to take photos.
While no injuries have been reported thus far due to the earthquakes, over 11,000 people have evacuated the island as a safety measure. Seismologists remain hopeful that the frequent quakes will soon diminish, but there is still potential for a major earthquake.