Spain declares disaster zone for Granada earthquake-hit municipalities

The Spanish government will formally declare a disaster zone for municipalities affected by the earthquake series that has shaken the province of Granada since August 14. Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo announced the decision on Wednesday after meeting with 18 mayors from the hardest-hit areas Source: infobae. The declaration unlocks state aid and compensation mechanisms for residents and businesses.

The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (CCS), the public insurer covering extraordinary risks, has already received around 27,500 compensation claims, of which 95% relate to homes or homeowners' communities Source: infobae. The CCS expects the final number to reach approximately 60,000, with about 2,000 new claims arriving daily. The estimated cost of compensation and aid for these claims exceeds €100 million Source: infobae.

Earlier data from the CCS, reported by El Confidencial, showed 12,532 claims received by August 21, with the majority (11,719) for homes and communities, followed by 609 for commercial properties, 152 for offices, 34 for industrial risks, and 17 for vehicles Source: elconfidencial. Claims have come from 74 municipalities in Granada, plus ten in Málaga and nine in Jaén Source: elconfidencial. Granada city leads with 6,086 claims, followed by Ogíjares (1,251) and Armilla (1,192) Source: elconfidencial. The CCS initially estimated the impact at over €35 million, a figure that will be updated as assessments progress Source: elconfidencial.

The discrepancy between the 12,500 claims reported on August 21 and the 27,500 cited by Cuerpo on August 26 reflects the rapid influx of new claims, with the CCS receiving about 2,000 per day Source: infobae. Compensation is available under the extraordinary risks insurance scheme, provided policyholders had active coverage at the time of the damage Source: elconfidencial.