Granada inspects 580 buildings as seismic swarm reaches 621 tremors

Overnight tremors and seismic sequence

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake shook the province of Granada at 02:15 on Thursday, with its epicenter located in the municipality of Dílar at a depth of five kilometres, roughly 16 kilometres from the provincial capital. The tremor was followed between 02:28 and 06:28 by five smaller aftershocks with magnitudes reaching up to 2.2, centered in Gójar, Ogíjares, La Zubia, and Dílar. During the previous night, the National Geographic Institute recorded 13 aftershocks with magnitudes up to 2.5, including two centered in Armilla. The regional emergency coordination centre received calls from residents in Granada, Maracena, Las Gabias, and Alhendín, where anxiety prompted several people to sleep outside in public spaces. In total, the National Geographic Institute has logged 621 earthquakes since the current seismic sequence began on 14 August, with 42 of those events felt by the local population.

Building inspections and urban damage

Municipal evaluation teams in Granada have surveyed more than 580 properties to determine whether seismic shaking compromised structural integrity. Technical inspectors have focused heavily on the Zaidín neighborhood, an area that holds one of the city's largest populations and oldest housing stocks. Initial reports confirmed that 14 inspected buildings received a red classification, prohibiting residents from re-entering until required structural repairs are completed. Surveys in the central district and the Albaicín neighborhood revealed no severe structural failures, and modern concrete buildings across the municipality have held up without general instability. Reported damage consists mainly of cracked exterior walls, detached cornices, fallen plaster, broken roof tiles, and damaged false ceilings or ornamental masonry.

I am eager to return to normality.

Geological causes and monitoring

The seismic activity in southern Spain is driven by the slow convergence of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. This collision zone created the Sierra Nevada range and the Alboran Sea, making provinces such as Granada, Alicante, Murcia, Almería, Málaga, and Cádiz prone to recurring seismic swarms. Juan Vicente Cantavella, director of the National Seismic Network, noted that while seismic swarms are characteristic of the Granada basin, their duration remains uncertain. The National Geographic Institute indicated that the two strongest tremors recorded during this episode reached magnitude 4.8 on 15 and 18 August.

It is not an extraordinary event because we know there are earthquakes in that area, but we cannot predict the pattern or when they will stop.

Public services and municipal response

The regional government of Andalusia continues to enforce the pre-emergency phase of its Seismic Risk Plan across Granada province. Despite the prolonged sequence of tremors, local infrastructure and key tourist sites, including the Alhambra, remain open to visitors. Health centres, hospitals, shopping areas, and municipal administrative offices have maintained normal operating schedules throughout the week. Granada Mayor Marifrán Carazo confirmed that hotel buildings and tourist accommodation had resisted the vibrations without safety issues. Municipal emergency crews and cleaning teams remain deployed to clear street debris while processing more than 5,000 calls linked to approximately 3,000 reported incidents.