Earthquake Hits Southern Spain, Killing Seven | May 11, 2011

Terrible news from Spain: a moderately powerful 5.4 earthquake shook the southern part of the country, killing at least seven and causing extensive property damage.

More from the Telegraph:

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has deployed emergency military units to the scene, the Spanish EFE news agency reported.

Eyewitnesses that the tower of the church of Santiago was split in half.

"Unfortunately, we can confirm ... deaths due to cave-ins and falling debris," the mayor of Lorca, Francisco Jodar, told radio station Ser. "We're trying to find out if there are people inside the collapsed houses."

The quake was registered at 6:47 pm (1647 GMT), following a smaller 4.4-magnitude quake at 5:05 pm (1505 GMT).

Spanish television showed rescue workers rushing through debris-littered streets. Thousands of residents of Lorca are in the streets, not knowing what to do.

Please bookmark!