Tourist hotspot Gran Canaria experiences strongest earthquake in 60 years

11 September 2024, 01:26

Popular holiday destination for British tourists Gran Canaria has experienced its strongest earthquake in 60 years.

The Earthquake hit the Spanish island on Tuesday evening and measured 3.8 on the Richter scale with the shaking felt in 14 of the Canary island's 21 municipalities.

There have been no immediate reports of any casualties or structural damage.

The tremor was initially recorded as measuring 4.1, before being revised while its epicentre was Santa Maria de Guia in the north of the island.

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Itahiza Dominguez, the Canary Islands Director for the National Geographic Institute, said it was the strongest earthquake detected in Gran Canaria in at least 60 years.

The earthquake is understood to have occurred at a depth of 12.5 miles under the earth’s surface while aftershocks have not been ruled out.

A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency response coordination centre confirmed last night: “An earthquake has been registered in the north coast of Gran Canaria that has been felt in 14 of the island’s 21 municipalities.

“Several 999 calls have been received. There are no reports of any casualties or major incidents at this time.”