In a move that's equal parts geological and dramatic, a 4.8-magnitude earthquake rocked southern Spain on Tuesday morning, lightly injuring at least three people and causing a number of buildings to, well, not be so structurally sound anymore. The epicenter, according to Spain's National Geographic Institute (IGN), was about 10km (six miles) south of the historic city of Granada, near the town of Alhendín, at a depth of under 10km. That's shallow enough to make everyone feel like they're on a particularly aggressive amusement park ride.
Residents, in a classic display of 'better safe than sorry,' rushed out of their homes into the streets, fearing strong aftershocks. A number of vehicles were damaged by falling debris, because of course they were. Some museums, administrative buildings, and sports centers have been forced to close, which is probably for the best - no one needs to see a priceless artifact do the cha-cha.
Alfonso Malpica, a local who felt his ground floor flat in Granada shake, told El País the quake was "stronger than the ones that happen from time to time, the ones we're used to." Cristina Ruiz Lopez, a lab worker at a supermarket, described it as "terrifying," with "everything came crashing down." We'd say that's a bad day for grocery shopping.
Granada's famous Alhambra palace - a Unesco World Heritage Site of medieval Islamic architecture that attracts millions of tourists annually - will remain closed for the afternoon, site administrators announced. Because nothing says 'historic preservation' like shutting down after a seismic rumble. Meanwhile, the metro network has reduced train speeds to 30km/h (19mph) for 'safety reasons,' warning of potential delays. Because when the earth moves, so should you - just slower.
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