Spain hit by earthquake; 10 dead
The tremor struck at 6:47 pm (16:47 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) and was felt in as far as the capital city of Madrid. The larger quake was preceded by a lesser-intensity 4.4-magnitude quake two hours prior.
Television reports in local channels showed dramatic images of widespread destruction with a clock tower crashing down, and parts of buildings crashing down in the southeastern town of Lorca.
Emergency military units were rushed to the affected areas by the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. According to reports, the king and prime minister spoke to the president of the Murcia region and Zapatero to gauge the extent of damages. A statement from the Prime Minister"s office revealed that though the quake was felt more in the towns of Lorca and Totana, its impact has spread to areas of Albacete and Velez-Rubio in Almeria.
This
is
the
most
deadly
quake
to
have
rocked
Spain
since
April
19,
1956
that
led
to
the
death
of
11
people
in
the
town
of
Albolote,
in
the
southern
Spanish
province
of
Granada.
OneIndia News