Magnitude 4.8 earthquake injures three in Granada

Updated: 26 August 2026

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Spain

Place

Spain

Country where the earthquake occurred.

Why it matters

Country where the earthquake occurred.

About

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous European Union (EU) member state.

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Spain’s National Geographic Institute, the IGN, located the shallow earthquake northwest of Gójar, close to Granada, at a depth of about five kilometres. The institute recorded several further tremors around Gójar, Alhendín, Churriana de la Vega and neighbouring municipalities that morning. The sequence included a magnitude 4.2 event near Alhendín shortly afterwards.

The Andalusian emergency authorities activated the regional seismic-risk plan at operational level one. According to the Junta de Andalucía, emergency services received more than 500 calls in roughly two hours and health teams assisted several people. Authorities temporarily suspended non-essential scheduled healthcare across Granada province while buildings were inspected; the Junta said normal healthcare activity resumed on 19 August after safety checks.

The Alhambra was evacuated and closed as a precaution, RTVE reported. Inspectors identified localised damage to decorative elements but no structural damage at the monument. Elsewhere, falling masonry and cracks prompted inspections and temporary evacuations. A Junta assessment published on 19 August said technicians had examined 580 buildings: 459 showed no damage, 105 had minor defects and 14 required protective measures.

The earthquake formed part of a sustained sequence that began on 14 August. The strongest earlier shock struck near Alhendín early on 15 August and was assessed at magnitude 5.0 by the Junta. The IGN’s historical research shows that the Granada basin regularly produces earthquake sequences because it lies within the tectonically active Betic region. The timing and size of later tremors cannot be predicted, so emergency officials have continued to emphasise inspections and public-safety guidance.

For Belgians in Granada, the practical impact is limited to local disruption and the continuing possibility of smaller aftershocks. Belgium’s Foreign Affairs service advises travellers in Spain to follow local authorities, monitor Spanish civil-protection alerts and contact relatives after a natural disaster. The IGN continued to record low-magnitude tremors around metropolitan Granada through at least 24 August. Authorities will keep monitoring the sequence, while unresolved questions concern the duration of the activity and the final repair needs of affected buildings.