Monday’s earthquake was largest to strike Malaga for 50 years

YESTERDAY’S earthquake was the biggest to hit Malaga for 50 years.

The quake, which had 6.1 magnitude according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), injured at least 26 people in the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

A 12-year-old boy who suffered a fatal heart attack in the Morrocan city of Alhucemas may have died after having a  panic attack.

In 2004, an earthquake of similar size killed more than 600 people in Alhucemas.

Since the earthquake struck on Monday morning at 5.22am, more than 160 aftershocks have been registered in Malaga.

One of the largest, measuing 4.4 on the Richter Scale, hit yesterday evening at 15.52.

Although experts have said there is a ‘low’ risk of serious earthquakes in the Alboran Sea, they said it was impossible to predict if there would be more in the coming days.

Mercedes Feriche, from the Prevencion del Instituto Andaluz de Geofisica, said: “Seismology isn’t an exact science, it’s not predictable and it’s impossible to know if there will be any more earthquakes.

“What we can do is prevent their effects. The Alboran Sea has a moderate risk and the maximum stregnth of earthquakes would be between 6.5 and 7.

“Serious earthquakes are very sporadic.”