Powerful 5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern Spain, Rattles Homes and Damages Buildings

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Almeria and was felt in hundreds of towns, including the popular Costa del Sol area

A powerful 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Spain early Monday morning, startling sleeping residents, damaging property, and prompting emergency alerts across several provinces.

Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN) recorded the quake at 7:13 a.m. local time at a shallow depth of just under two miles beneath the seabed off the coast of Almería in southeast Spain. The tremor affected hundreds of towns and villages across seven provinces in Andalusia and the Levante region, with the most significant impact felt in 17 municipalities in Almería.

Damage to the ceiling of a cafe in the departures lounge of Almeria Airport after the quake

The provinces of Granada, Málaga, Jaén, Murcia, Alicante, and Albacete also experienced the quake's effects, with reports of intense shaking and minor structural damage.

At Almería Airport, part of a café ceiling in the departure lounge collapsed, sending tiles crashing to the ground and creating a thick cloud of dust. A staff member described a loud bang followed by a scare among early morning workers. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the damaged area was quickly cordoned off.

Damage to a ceiling in a Toyota showroom after the quake

A Toyota showroom in Huércal de Almería, just ten minutes from the provincial capital, also suffered ceiling damage. Eyewitnesses across the region shared chilling accounts of being jolted awake by their shaking homes, swaying lamps, rattling windows, and moving furniture.

“I was asleep and woke up to my bed shaking,” said a resident of Bédar, approximately 37 miles from the epicenter. Another in Tabernas said, “There was a loud rumbling and the whole house shook.” A third in Torre del Mar described it as the strongest tremor in a decade.

Torre del Mar, a coastal town in the Malaga province, was among the hardest hit

In Murcia, one resident recalled, “The bed moved back and forth, the ceiling light swung, and my wardrobe doors opened and closed for about ten seconds.” Video footage shared online captured a ceiling lampshade swinging inside a home. Social media users from Granada to Alicante reported similar experiences, with many saying it was the most powerful quake they had felt in years.

Emergency services in Andalusia received at least 25 calls—20 from Almería, four from Granada, and one from Jaén. The quake reached an intensity level of IV to V on the European Macroseismic Scale, which ranges from “widely observed” to “strong.” According to IGN, this level of shaking is typically felt indoors, may wake sleeping individuals, and causes suspended objects to swing noticeably.

The shallow depth of the quake amplified its felt intensity in nearby areas. A mobile alert system was triggered in Almería and Granada, warning residents of the tremor and advising safety measures such as checking for gas leaks and wearing shoes to avoid injury from debris. The alert also warned that aftershocks were possible.

Parts of Malaga city also felt the quake

Despite the intensity, no injuries or major structural collapses have been reported. Experts noted that while the quake was more powerful than the deadly 2011 Lorca earthquake, which killed nine people, it caused less damage because it occurred offshore—about 20 miles from the town of Níjar in Almería—rather than directly on land.

Seismic specialist Javier Fernandez Fraile explained, “If it had been near a city and closer to the surface, it could have been far more destructive.”

The Mediterranean region, including coastal areas of Spain, Morocco, Algeria, and Italy, lies along an active fault line and is frequently affected by minor earthquakes.