RBP
05-11-2011, 09:03 PM
MADRID — Two strong earthquakes rattled southern Spain on Wednesday, toppling buildings, cracking highways, collapsing a car tunnel and killing several people, according to officials and media reports.
http://i.imgur.com/E4d0L.jpg
The quakes, of preliminary magnitudes 4.4 and 5.3, killed at least 10 people and injured dozens in Lorca, a town of about 91,000 in the municipality of Murcia, El Pais newspaper reported, citing government officials.
One woman died in the collapse of a new three-story building, El Pais reported. Her child was rescued alive, but others were feared trapped in the rubble.
Three people, including a teenager walking his dog, were killed after being struck by falling building parts, the newspaper said.
Local authorities told NBC News that several buildings collapsed or sustained damage and authorities fear more victims could be trapped.
The epicenter was in the Sierra de Tercia area northeast of Lorca, El Pais reported. The quakes were felt strongly in several villages in the region.
"The population is scared and are very afraid to return to their homes. The whole of the center of Lorca has been seriously damaged," a delegate from the central government in Murcia told national radio. "There are thousands of very disorientated people."
Television footage showed rescue workers rushing through debris-littered streets.
The temblors opened cracks in roads and overpasses, and there were reports of cars trapped in a collapsed tunnel, according to El Pais.
Large chunks of stone and brick fell from the facade of a church in Lorca as Spanish state TV was broadcasting live from the scene.
A large church bell was also among the rubble. The broadcaster reported that schoolchildren usually gather at that spot around that time, and if it had happened 10 minutes later, a "tragedy" could have occurred.
Nervous groups of residents gathered in public places, talking about what happened and calling relatives and friends on their cell phones.
Spanish TV showed images of cars that were partially crushed by falling rubble, and large cracks in buildings.
"I felt a tremendously strong movement, followed by a lot of noise, and I was really frightened," the newspaper El Pais quoted Lorca resident Juani Avellanada as saying.
Another resident, Juana Ruiz, said her house split open with the quake and "all the furniture fell over," according to El Pais.
According to officials in Murcia, about 150 emergency workers were out assessing damage and assisting victims.
Local government officials said staff and patients in hospitals in Lorca and nearby villages were evacuated due to damage, making it more difficult to give medical attention to quake victims. The army and emergency services were providing first aid on the spot.
John Bellini, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., said the larger earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 and struck 220 miles south-southeast of Madrid.
The quake was about 6 miles deep, and was preceded by the smaller one with a magnitude 4.5 in the same spot, Bellini said. He classified the bigger quake as moderate and said it could cause structural damage to older buildings and masonry.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42993156/ns/world_news-europe/t/strong-earthquakes-rattle-spain-fatalities-reported/#
http://i.imgur.com/E4d0L.jpg
The quakes, of preliminary magnitudes 4.4 and 5.3, killed at least 10 people and injured dozens in Lorca, a town of about 91,000 in the municipality of Murcia, El Pais newspaper reported, citing government officials.
One woman died in the collapse of a new three-story building, El Pais reported. Her child was rescued alive, but others were feared trapped in the rubble.
Three people, including a teenager walking his dog, were killed after being struck by falling building parts, the newspaper said.
Local authorities told NBC News that several buildings collapsed or sustained damage and authorities fear more victims could be trapped.
The epicenter was in the Sierra de Tercia area northeast of Lorca, El Pais reported. The quakes were felt strongly in several villages in the region.
"The population is scared and are very afraid to return to their homes. The whole of the center of Lorca has been seriously damaged," a delegate from the central government in Murcia told national radio. "There are thousands of very disorientated people."
Television footage showed rescue workers rushing through debris-littered streets.
The temblors opened cracks in roads and overpasses, and there were reports of cars trapped in a collapsed tunnel, according to El Pais.
Large chunks of stone and brick fell from the facade of a church in Lorca as Spanish state TV was broadcasting live from the scene.
A large church bell was also among the rubble. The broadcaster reported that schoolchildren usually gather at that spot around that time, and if it had happened 10 minutes later, a "tragedy" could have occurred.
Nervous groups of residents gathered in public places, talking about what happened and calling relatives and friends on their cell phones.
Spanish TV showed images of cars that were partially crushed by falling rubble, and large cracks in buildings.
"I felt a tremendously strong movement, followed by a lot of noise, and I was really frightened," the newspaper El Pais quoted Lorca resident Juani Avellanada as saying.
Another resident, Juana Ruiz, said her house split open with the quake and "all the furniture fell over," according to El Pais.
According to officials in Murcia, about 150 emergency workers were out assessing damage and assisting victims.
Local government officials said staff and patients in hospitals in Lorca and nearby villages were evacuated due to damage, making it more difficult to give medical attention to quake victims. The army and emergency services were providing first aid on the spot.
John Bellini, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., said the larger earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 and struck 220 miles south-southeast of Madrid.
The quake was about 6 miles deep, and was preceded by the smaller one with a magnitude 4.5 in the same spot, Bellini said. He classified the bigger quake as moderate and said it could cause structural damage to older buildings and masonry.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42993156/ns/world_news-europe/t/strong-earthquakes-rattle-spain-fatalities-reported/#