Two earthquakes struck south-east Spain in quick succession, killing at least 10 people − the country’s highest quake-related death toll in more than 50 years − injuring dozens and causing major damage.
The epicentre of the quakes − with magnitudes of 4.4 and 5.2 − was close to the town of Lorca and the second came about two hours after the first, the Murcia regional government said.
Dozens of injured people were being treated at the scene and a field hospital was set up in the town of about 85,000 people.
About 270 patients at a hospital in Lorca were being evacuated by ambulance as a precaution after the building sustained minor damage, the Murcia government said.
The prime minister’s office put the death toll at 10 and the Murcia administration said the deaths included a child and occurred with the second, stronger quake.
Large chunks of stone and brick fell from the facade of a church in Lorca as a reporter for Spanish state TV was broadcasting live from the scene.
A large church bell was also among the rubble, which missed striking the reporter, who appeared to be about 9m away when it fell.
The broadcaster reported that schoolchildren usually gathered at that spot around that time and if it had happened 10 minutes later, a “tragedy” could have occurred.
Spanish TV showed images of cars that were partially crushed by falling rubble, and large cracks in buildings.
Many residents decided to spend the night camped out in parks and other open spaces, fearing aftershocks and because of structural damage to their homes, according to state TV footage.
It was the deadliest quake in Spain since 1956 when 12 people died and 70 were injured in a quake in the southern Granada region, according to the National Geographic Institute.
It says Spain has about 2,500 quakes a year, but only a handful are actually noticed by people. Spain’s south and south east are the most earthquake-prone regions.
IBEROSTAR Marbella Coral Beach Hotel has seen its official opening with very special host, Antonio Banderas, on hand for the celebrations.
The world renowned actor from Malaga, who has been the face of this hotel chain since 2010, did not want to miss out on the chance to be part of the expansion of IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts on the Costa del Sol.
As well as Antonio, the Mayoress of Marbella, Maria Ángeles Muñoz, and other representatives of the Marbella City Council were present on the night including executive vice-president of the IBEROSTAR Group, Sabina Fluxá Thieneman and managing director of marketing of IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts, Luis Herault, who highlighted the strategic importance of this destination for the group.
Herault said: “The IBEROSTAR Marbella Coral Beach Hotel is our flagship hotel on the Costa del Sol, a top destination on a national and international level.
“With hotels like this one, we enrich our portfolio and we perfectly respond to the chain’s vocation to offer high-category services and facilities to its clients on the most appealing coasts.”
A beachfront hotel, just one kilometre from Puerto Banús, this hotel is situated in the heart of the Costa del Sol, in one of the most exclusive residential areas of Marbella.
IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts has remodelled the building, inspired in Andalusian and Arab cultures, improved its facilities, including 170 rooms divided among four floors (126 double rooms, 14 junior suites, ten suites and 20 communicating rooms), with views of the lovely Mediterranean Sea and terraces overlooking two swimming pools, gardens and common grounds.
Antonio Banderas expressed his satisfaction: “About a year ago, I began collaborating with IBEROSTAR, a Spanish company with which I have a lot of things in common, such as its philosophy about its international profile.
“But today it is time to celebrate the presence of IBEROSTAR in Marbella, in Malaga, my home.
“This shows their firm commitment to this land, which makes me proud to be a Malaga native.”
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