Spain: Earthquake Shakes Murcia

Lorca, in the region of Murcia, Spain, was shaken by two earthquakes on May 11. The earthquakes, magnitudes 4.1 and 5.1 [es] on the Richter Scale, and their subsequent aftershocks, have caused nine casualties to date and approximately 300 injured. Thousands of victims have had to relocate, seeking refuge.

Victims on the streets of Lorca. Photo from EFE/Juan Francisco Moreno. Taken from Globovisión under the CC License.*

Photo EFE. Taken from Globovisión under the CC License.

Solidarity towards the “Ciudad del Sol” (“City of the Sun”) was felt immediately through Twitter, under the #terremotomurcia and #todosconlorca hashtags used to spread information and show solidarity. Supporters opened an account on Facebook, Apoyo por el Terremoto de Murcia [es] (Support for the Murcia Earthquake) that already has thousands of messages, and Murcian blogs share their sorrow, such as in María en el Atelier [es].

Destruction in Lorca, Murcia by the earthquake. Photo from EFE/Juan Francisco Moreno. Taken from Globovisión under the CC License.*

Many buildings in Lorca were partially demolished. Photo taken from Globovisión under the CC License.*

Photo EFE. Taken from Globovisión under the CC License.*

There are accounts of what occurred during the earthquake, statistics and official reactions on blogs like Spain: The Blog, and collections of breaking news about the event, like in Aquí hay tomate [es], which has a special coverage page. Athlete Raúl Guevara [es] tells us the striking experience of what he lived through and saw in his city. And he does not forget the campaign for the next local elections [es]:

Cuando los partidos políticos se discuten entre ellos para ganar unas elecciones de como gobernar un país, la tierra da un toque de atención. La naturaleza no entiende de política, de campeones ni vencidos.

When political parties fight amongst themselves about how to govern a country to win elections, the earth gives a jolt of attention. Nature does not understand politics, champions nor the defeated.

An earthquake shook Lorca, Murcia. Photo from EFE/Israel Sánchez. Taken from Globovisión under Licencia CC.*

And this is not the only case that merges Spanish political life with the Lorca disaster. Antonio Javier Vicente Gil’s blog [es] shows a collective catharsis and serious reflections on the current government’s politics in Spain.

Solo espero que este país solidario, capaz de destinar cientos de millones de euros a las causas más peregrinas, se vuelque en ayudar y en reconstruir, y me refiero al gobierno que nos desgobierna, a ver por donde sale ZP, será digno de ver.

I just hope that this country that has demonstrated its solidarity, capable of sending hundreds of millions of Euros to strange causes, throws itself into helping and rebuilding, and I mean the government that fails to govern us, let's see where ZP [Zapatero] ends up, it will be worth seeing.

There are also critiques on the lack of immediate intervention to help those who were left without a roof over their heads during the first night, contrary to what has been reported in the official media. As Kaos en la Red writes [es]:

Tiembla la tierra. Se caen las casas más humildes y antiguas. Y las de abajo pierden lo poco que tienen. Los más vulnerables, los trabajadores, muchos de ellos migrantes, gente mayor, jóvenes en situación precaria se quedan en la calle.

The ground shakes. The most humble and old houses fall. And those who are the poorest lose the little they have. The most vulnerable, the workers, many of whom are migrants, the elderly, the youth in a precarious situation are left on the streets.

*All photos were taken from the Globovisión Flickr account and are reproduced under the CC License BY-NC-2.0 License.