British holiday destination Gran Canaria hit by worst earthquake in 60 years
- The earthquake was felt in most municipalities on the island last night
Gran Canaria has been hit by the worst earthquake in 60 years.
The holiday resort off the coast of North Africa was hit by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake last night, which was felt in 14 of the island’s 21 municipalities.
Aftershocks have not been ruled out since the first earthquake struck around 7:20 p.m.
The earthquake struck at its epicentre in Santa Maria de Guia, in the north of the island.
Itahiza Dominguez, director of the National Geographic Institute in the Canary Islands, said it is the strongest earthquake measured in Gran Canaria in at least 60 years.
Amadores Beach, Gran Canaria. The epicentre of the earthquake was Santa Maria de Guia in the north
There were no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage.
The earthquake was initially recorded as a magnitude 4.1 quake when it struck at 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday evening, but the magnitude was later downgraded.
According to some reports, the epicenter was said to be about 20 kilometers off the northwest coast.
The earthquake is believed to have occurred at a depth of 20 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
A spokesman for a regional government coordination centre for emergency aid confirmed last night: ‘An earthquake has been registered on the northern coast of Gran Canaria, which has been felt in 14 of the 21 municipalities on the island.
‘Multiple 999 calls have been received. There are currently no reports of casualties or major incidents.’
Scientists who monitor volcanoes have encouraged people who felt the earthquake to alert the Spanish government.
According to TN2 Canarias, local emergency services received calls from concerned residents.