Earthquake off Andalucía coast AN EARTHQUAKE measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale has struck in Andalucía and was felt in the provinces of Málaga, Sevilla and Córdoba, according to the National Geographical Institute. At present, the extent of the damage - if any - is not known, but the epicentre is said to be at least 64 kilometres below the surface to the west of the island of Alborán, just off the coast of the Spanish-owned city-province of Ceuta on the northern shores of Morocco. Although the intensity was reasonably high, the fact it was so far below ground means it is likely to have caused limited destruction. Earthquakes are common in the south and south-east of Spain, but usually so mild that little more than a temporary push from ground level is felt and damage, if any, is limited to the occasional ornament falling off a shelf or a small crack in a window - much the same as would happen if a heavy lorry was driven past at speed. A massive quake in Lorca, Murcia on May 11, 2011 caused buildings to crumble and claimed several lives, and many of the hundreds of homeowners affected are still waiting for the government to carry out the repairs. Here, the initial earthquake was fairly minor, but the aftershock reached 5.3 on the Richter scale. The damage was due to the fact that it was less than a kilometre underground, and many of the city-centre properties were said to have been poorly constructed. These are very rare in Spain, however, with most being at around 2 on the Richter scale. Little damage tends to be recorded unless an earthquake measures 4.5 or more. Source: Think Spain
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 06:01:48 +0000
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