Many thanks

To all of our friends and relatives who have expressed concern about us. We have had text messages, phone calls and emails all asking if we are alright. The answer is of course yes other wise you would not be reading this!

What had caused all the concern was the news that a large earthquake had struck Southern Spain near to where we live.

You can see on this map just how close we would have been if we were at home. As it happened though, Pam and I decided to take a few days break at a hotel in Los Alcazares which, as you can see from this map actually took us closer to the epicentre of the quakes. I am pleased to say that we felt nothing.

The historic city of Lorca was at the centre of the problem.

Lorca was hit by two major earthquakes on Wednesday evening which shook the city - collapsing buildings and sending falling masonry into the streets.
The tremors left nine dead, including two pregnant women and a 14-year old child. A total of 292 people were injured, three seriously.
The first earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale struck at 17.05, according to the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN) - with the more damaging 5.1 tremor hitting at 18.47.

IGN say that a further 26 aftershocks were recorded in the city by 05.30 yesterday (Thursday).

• Two apartment blocks collapsed killing two women in the Barrio de la Viña, the area worst affected.
  
• The bell towers of two historic churches - San Diego and Santiago - collapsed, along with the dome of the Virgen de las Huertas sanctuary and part of Lorca's castle tower, the Torre del Espolón.
  
• Lorca's main avenue Avenida Juan Carlos I was left full of rubble.

Rescue services said most of the victims had been killed by falling masonry. The 14-year-old boy died when he was buried by rubble in his family's café

Seismologists reported the quake had been devastating because it happened close to the surface and only seven kilometres from the city centre.
An emergency services spokesman reported around 500 people of various nationalities were sleeping outdoors in an improvised campsite along the Huerto de la Rueda fair esplanade.
"They were given blankets because the temperatures were low and they were queuing early in the morning to get coffee and a breakfast," he said.

Another four camps have been installed across the city, with residents afraid to sleep in their damaged homes.
470 patients from the Rafael Méndez and Virgen del Alcázar hospitals were evacuated by ambulance to hospitals in other parts of the Murcia region for safety reasons.

Additionally the health centres, schools and a home for the elderly were evacuated and no schools opened on Thursday.

The army has been drafted in, with 350 soldiers from the rescue and emergency units from Sevilla, Valencia and Madrid sent to the scene.
They have been joined by 200 Protección Civil volunteers, 30 firemen, 250 members of the Red Cross, and local and national police from all over the Murcia region.

Although the busy A-7 motorway was re-opened several hours after the quake, the authorities have advised people not to travel to the area.