Several buildings were toppled during the 5.3 magnitude quake, which was centered about 30 miles southwest of Murcia at a depth of only a few thousand feet.
Frightened residents fled buildings and flooded into squares, parks and open spaces when the temblor struck at 6:47 p.m. local time.
This was Spain’s deadliest quake since 1956, when 12 people died and approximately 70 others were injured in a quake centered in the southern region of Granada.