Granada to experience more but milder earthquakes

Geology experts warn that Granada province will experience more tremors, following the magnitude 4.6-5 earthquakes that hit between 15 and 18 August. At the same time, they call for calm, stating that the tremors will be mild, again in the moderate range of magnitude 4 and 5.

Director of the Andalusian institute of Earth sciences Jesús Galindo said: "The earthquakes will continue, but everything points to them remaining of moderate magnitude."

Galindo dismissed any similarities between the phenomenon in Granada and the devastating earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela this summer.

Galindo described the recurrence of tremors as something normal: "more tectonic faults" (fractures in the Earth's crust) activated in the areas surrounding Granada city.

These ruptures are small, unlike those that caused the earthquakes in South America, which multiplied their destructive power.

"The earthquakes in Granada are very noticeable because they are very shallow and occur in a densely populated area. If they were deeper, we would hardly feel them," Galindo said.

He encouraged the public to try to remain calm. "Granada's housing stock has complied with earthquake-resistant building codes since the 1960s and 70s. It is highly unlikely that a building will collapse. They sway, but they don't fall down."

At the same time, however, he warned that the walls and exterior elements of buildings do not have that flexibility and can indeed collapse, posing a risk to people who leave their homes during or immediately after an earthquake.

"It's safer to stay inside and take cover under a table or a doorframe. Those who do leave should under no circumstances remain near buildings," the expert stated.

"The partitions and interior cladding can also crack because they are not designed to adapt to vibrations, but that doesn't mean the building is going to collapse," Galindo concluded.

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