Glengormley Ex-Pat Shrugs Off Earthquake

A Northern Ireland ex-pat now living in Spain has spoken of his shock over the deaths of at least eight people after an earthquake struck a nearby town.

"We hardly felt it here, however the people that live in the area of Lorca are the ones that need our thoughts at this time," said former Glengormley resident, Lawrence McKittrick.

Speaking exclusively to www.4ni.co.uk Mr McKittrick (pictured) - whose home is about 40 miles from Lorca - said: "We are fine having only felt a tremor yesterday, but it was no more than about three others that take place annually."

Speaking as thousands of people began to make their way back to their homes having spent the night outdoors in the southern Spanish town of Lorca after the magnitude-5.2 tremor toppled several buildings, he said it was felt north of the quake, rather than where he and his wife Hazel have their home, near the town of Albox.

"This happened under the land itself and therefore badly hit the town," he said, noting that the epicentre is more often out in the Mediterranean but has struck underground instead, at a depth of just 10km (six miles), 120km southwest of Alicante.

"It was near the main A7 motorway and close to the seaside resorts of San Juan and Aguilas," he explained.

This morning, lines of cars lie crushed under tonnes of rubble after what has turned out to be Spain's worst earthquake for 50 years.

Wednesday evening's quake came about two hours after a 4.4-magnitude tremor and regional officials on Thursday put the official death toll at eight, revising it down from 10.

Shocked residents and workers rushed out of buildings and gathered in squares, parks and open spaces after the quake struck at about 6.45pm leaving old buildings badly damaged.

Spanish TV captured dramatic images of a church bell tower crashing to the ground, landing just metres from a cameraman.

As night fell, many of Lorca's 90,000 residents were either unable or still too afraid to return to their homes.

Concluding, Mr McKittrick said: "Nothing here but the tremors, but it was felt in Madrid which is 800km away

"Most people didn't notice that the fault line is towards Madrid hence they felt it more than we did, in Albox."

(BMcC/GK)