Eight dead after earthquake hits Spain

"It was a strange sensation," said a press office worker who was in his office in the regional capital of Murcia, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Lorca. He estimated the duration of the quake from five to eight seconds.

The 5.1-magnitude quake occurred at 6:47 p.m. (12:47 p.m. ET) and was centered about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Murcia, near the Mediterranean coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said. That is about 350 kilometers (218 miles) south-southeast of Madrid.

It was preceded at 5:05 p.m. (11:05 a.m. ET) by a 4.5-magnitude temblor centered in the same area, the survey said.

At least one of the deaths occurred in a building collapse in Lorca, state-run EFE said.