Granada earthquake closes Alhambra, injures three

A magnitude-4.8 earthquake near Granada lightly injured three people on Tuesday and closed the Alhambra palace complex for the rest of the day after minor damage was found, authorities in southern Spain said.

The quake struck at about 10:38 am local time, with its epicentre in Alhendin, about 10 kilometres south of Granada, according to Spain's National Geographical Institute. It was the strongest in a series of earthquakes to hit the region on Tuesday morning.

The UNESCO-listed Alhambra, one of Spain's best-known tourist sites, closed as a precaution. Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region's top emergencies official, said a first inspection found no significant structural damage and no risk of collapse, but did find very localised minor damage to non-structural elements, including battlements, plasterwork and decorative features.

Sanz said three people were lightly injured, including a girl who was taken to hospital. Emergency services said they received more than 500 calls in Granada reporting cracks, falling debris and other earthquake-related incidents, including about a dozen requests for medical assistance, mostly for anxiety attacks.

Granada city hall closed all municipal buildings except those providing emergency and essential services as a precaution. Mayor Marifran Carazo urged people to stay at home and, if another tremor occurs, to avoid going outside and standing near buildings.

The quake came days after a magnitude-5.0 earthquake woke residents in Granada shortly after 1:00 am on Saturday. Officials said that earlier tremor was Andalusia's strongest since 1955. No injuries were reported from the Saturday quake, although some buildings were damaged.