Rabat – A strong earthquake struck early Monday morning off the coast of Almería, southern Spain, sending tremors across the western Mediterranean that were distinctly felt in northern Morocco.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, the earthquake, which measured 5.5 on the Richter scale, occurred at 7:13 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located approximately 32 kilometers off the Almería coast, at a shallow depth of about 2 kilometers below the seabed.
The quake was felt across a wide area of the Mediterranean basin, including southern Spain, Gibraltar, northern Algeria, and large parts of northern Morocco. In Morocco, residents of Tangier, Tetouan, Al Hoceima, Nador, and the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla reported feeling noticeable tremors.
Nasser Jabour, director of Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics, confirmed that the seismic waves were strong enough to reach the Moroccan Mediterranean coastline, although no casualties or property damage were reported in either Morocco or Spain as of the time of writing.
Jabour explained that the magnitude of this earthquake is considered moderate, noting that preliminary estimates indicate its impact on the Moroccan side was at level three to four on the European intensity scale.
Authorities in Spain have called for calm among residents and visitors, stressing that the situation remains under control. Monitoring teams are maintaining vigilance for any possible aftershocks.
Although Spain is not as seismically active as countries along major fault lines, its southern and eastern regions do experience periodic earthquake activity, sometimes strong enough to be felt widely.
