Magnitude 4.8 earthquake injures three in Granada
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck the Granada metropolitan area on 18 August, leaving three people lightly injured, including a minor who was taken to hospital.
Although the injuries were light, the shallow quake affected a densely populated metropolitan area, disrupted healthcare and access to public buildings, and exposed vulnerabilities that required hundreds of structural inspections.
Updated: 26 August 2026
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck ’s metropolitan area at 10:37 local time on Tuesday, 18 August, leaving three people lightly injured. Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE reported that one of the injured was a minor who was taken to hospital, while the other two received treatment without hospital admission.
’s National Geographic Institute, the IGN, located the shallow earthquake northwest of , close to , 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 , 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 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 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 , the practical impact is limited to local disruption and the continuing possibility of smaller aftershocks. Belgium’s Foreign Affairs service advises travellers in 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.
Impact
Regional — Granada city and surrounding municipalities experienced repeated tremors, precautionary evacuations, building inspections and temporary disruption to healthcare and visitor sites.
Local — Granada city and nearby municipalities, including Gójar, experienced repeated tremors, precautionary evacuations and temporary disruption to healthcare facilities and visitor sites. Authorities inspected 580 buildings by 19 August; 14 required protective measures. Those inspections affected access to some public buildings while officials assessed safety. The continuing low-magnitude tremors recorded through 24 August meant residents, patients, workers and visitors remained subject to changing local access restrictions and emergency instructions.
International — The earthquake has a direct cross-border relevance for Belgian residents travelling to Granada and the wider Andalusia region. Belgium’s Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs maintains Spain travel advice covering climate and natural disasters. Travellers should consult that guidance alongside instructions from Spanish and Andalusian authorities. No specific EU institutional response or wider cross-border disruption was reported in the article, and the emergency response remained under Spanish national, regional and municipal authorities.
What it means for you
If you are travelling from Belgium to Granada, check the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs advice for Spain and verify access directly with your hotel, healthcare provider or visitor site before departure. Follow instructions from the Junta de Andalucía and local emergency services, particularly around buildings awaiting inspection or protective work. Because low-magnitude tremors were still being recorded on 24 August, allow for short-notice closures or evacuations. Keep travel and accommodation documents accessible, and contact emergency services if local authorities direct you to leave a building.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
Country where the earthquake occurred.
Spanish autonomous community whose regional authorities coordinated the emergency response.
Spanish city, province and metropolitan area affected by the earthquake and continuing tremors.
Municipality near the shallow epicentre northwest of the town.
Belgian authority providing travel advice for Spain, including natural-disaster guidance.
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Spanish city, province and metropolitan area affected by the earthquake and continuing tremors.
Country where the earthquake occurred.
Spanish autonomous community whose regional authorities coordinated the emergency response.
Municipality near the shallow epicentre northwest of the town.
Magnitude 4.8 shallow earthquake that injured three people and prompted inspections and evacuations.
Earlier period of Granada-area earthquake activity documented by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional.
Belgian authority providing travel advice for Spain, including natural-disaster guidance.
Spanish institution responsible for measuring, locating and monitoring the earthquakes.
Andalusian regional government coordinating emergency services, inspections and public-safety measures.
Regional emergency service providing response information about the earthquake.
Regional department reporting on health, emergency and inspection consequences.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceRTVEPrimarycorroborating· rtve.es· 18 August 2026Retrieved 26 August 2026· 45 days ago· Dated
- View sourceInstituto Geográfico Nacionalofficial· ign.esRetrieved 26 August 2026
- View sourceJunta de Andalucía Emergency Serviceofficial· juntadeandalucia.esRetrieved 26 August 2026
- View sourceJunta de Andalucía Health and Emergencies Departmentofficial· juntadeandalucia.es· 18 August 2026Retrieved 26 August 2026· 45 days ago· Dated
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.