Three earthquakes with magnitudes above 4 struck Spain's southern province of Granada on Tuesday, lightly injuring at least three people and causing further damage to buildings days after a stronger quake hit the region.
One of those injured was a minor who was taken to hospital, Antonio Sanz, the Andalusian regional official responsible for emergencies, told reporters.
Spain's National Geographic Institute (IGN) recorded the strongest of Tuesday's earthquakes at magnitude 4.7. It struck at 10:37 a.m. local time, or 08:37 GMT, with a shallow epicentre near Gójar, about 10 kilometres south of Granada city.
Two slightly weaker earthquakes followed in nearby towns on Granada's southern outskirts. Shallow earthquakes can produce stronger shaking at the surface and cause more localised damage than deeper tremors of a similar magnitude.
The earthquakes left cracks in residential buildings, dislodged sections of façades and sent bricks and other debris onto pavements.
Authorities restricted tourist access to parts of the Alhambra, Granada's medieval palace and fortress complex and one of Spain's most visited historical sites. The monument, a major surviving example of Islamic architecture in Spain, received about 2.7 million visitors last year.
Granada's provincial authorities also closed administrative buildings, museums and sports facilities as a precaution, while primary healthcare centres remained open.
The city's metro reduced train speeds to 30 kilometres per hour, and local media reported that several hotels were evacuated following the tremors.
Tuesday's earthquakes came only three days after a magnitude-5 quake struck the Granada metropolitan area shortly after 1 a.m. on Saturday, with its epicentre around Alhendín.
That earthquake damaged homes and vehicles and scattered debris across streets, although officials reported no injuries. Emergency workers rescued several people from damaged buildings.
The Alhambra was not damaged in Saturday's earthquake, Sanz said at the time, although the complex was temporarily closed as a precaution. Tourist access was again restricted after Tuesday's renewed seismic activity.
Granada and its surrounding plain are among the more seismically active parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The IGN has documented repeated earthquake sequences in the region, including significant episodes during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Authorities continued assessing buildings across the affected area on Tuesday after the latest series of tremors.
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