Magnitude 5 earthquake shakes Granada, Spain

A magnitude 5 earthquake jolted the province of Granada, Spain, in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026. The seismic event, with its epicenter located in the municipality of Alhendín, occurred at 01:04 local time and was felt across various parts of Andalusia.

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The seismic event caused material damage and activated the seismic emergency in Andalusia.

The National Geographic Institute (IGN) initially reported the epicenter was at a depth of approximately two kilometers. The tremor caused alarm among residents, many of whom evacuated their homes in several towns fearing aftershocks. The Andalusian emergency service 112 reported receiving over 80 calls related to the earthquake, which also resulted in material damage in affected areas.

Social media platforms were flooded with reports of damage from towns in the Granada metropolitan area, including Armilla. While official damage assessments are ongoing, initial reports indicated fallen objects and structural issues in some buildings. The earthquake's relatively shallow depth contributed to its intensity in nearby localities, underscoring Granada's status as a region with significant seismic activity on the Iberian Peninsula.

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The tremor generated alarm among the inhabitants, who in several towns went out into the streets fearing new tremors.

In response to the earthquake and subsequent tremors, the Andalusian regional government activated phase one of the Seismic Risk Emergency Plan. Authorities appealed to the public to remain calm and exercise extreme caution, emphasizing the need to assess building safety and follow evacuation orders from officials.

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The Andalusian government activated the emergency phase, operational situation 1, of the Seismic Risk Plan.