Powerful earthquake hits Spain as cars crushed under rocks & giant crack slices through road with emergency declared

A POWERFUL 5-magnitude earthquake has struck Spain as authorities declare an emergency after buildings collapsed and rocks crushed cars.

Panic spread across the southern city of Granada after the tremor hit around 1am local time.

Footage circulating on social media shows people fleeing their homes and tourists running out of hotels in the middle of the night.

Andalusian ‌emergency services have rescued a ‌number of people from damaged buildings.

Homes and cars have been heavily damaged – and an entire road has been split in half by a crack caused by the powerful jolt.

Antonio Sanz Cabello, vice-president of the Andalusian government, said that authorities had declared an emergency.

“If you are in Granada, you have felt the earthquake, you are okay, and your home shows no damage, stay calm and avoid entering and exiting buildings unnecessarily,” he wrote on X.

“On the street, stay away from facades, cornices, balconies, walls, and other elements that could fall.”

Regional authorities reported that emergency services received around 200 calls, but no casualties have been reported so far.

 Callers reported falling objects, shaking furniture and rattling doors and windows. 

The earthquake caused structural damage across the area, with residents reporting cracks in structures, collapses – including entire walls – and damage to several buildings.

In nearby Armilla and other parts of the region, pieces of facades and roof tiles came crashing down on the streets under. 

Firefighters and police have been working to seal off affected spots after carrying out inspections through the night.

The epicentre was located near the town of Alendin, a few miles from Granada, with a depth of 1.2 miles.

A smaller 2.6 tremor followed a few minutes later near the village of Gojar.

Destructive earthquakes are rare in Spain, where the risk is classified as medium.

The neighbouring regions of Andalusia and Murcia, stretching along the Betic Cordillera through Granada, Málaga, Almería, and Murcia, are the most active.

The earthquake in Granada comes just two weeks after a 4.1 quake hit the town of Librilla in the Murcia region.