Earthquake hits the Costa Blanca with epicentre in Benitachell as residents hear ‘loud bangs’ and thought ‘lorry had hit the house’

AN EARTHQUAKE has hit the Costa Blanca at 10pm this evening (Wednesday) with residents near Benitachell recording ‘loud bangs’ and feeling their ‘houses shake’.

The quake registered 2.8 on the Richter scale, according to Spain’s National Geographic Institute.

The epicentre was recorded 5km beneath Benitachell, with towns as far as Denia and Benissa feeling the shake.

Magnitude 2 of the Richter scale predicts no lasting damage to buildings.

“I heard a loud bang,” Loraine Gostling, resident in Pedreguer, told the Olive Press.

“In 2018 there were five earthquakes in succession – we’re still waiting for the other four!”

Other social media users said ‘the whole house shook’ with one writing: “I thought a lorry had ploughed into our house.”

Another said: “I was going to phone the Guardia as I thought someone had broken through my door.”

According to the Mercalli scale, which measures the intensity of a quake in terms of certain key responses – such as people awakening, movement of furniture, damage to chimneys, and so on – the quake was most intense in the Valle de Sol area of Javea (IV-V intensity).

Scale V is defined as: “Felt by nearly everyone; many awakened. Some dishes and windows broken. Unstable objects overturned. Pendulum clocks may stop.”

Next was La Finca and Tosalet areas of Javea, which along with Benitachell registered a scale IV intensity.