The 5.3-magnitude quake occurred at 4:47 p.m. (10:47 a.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 3:05 p.m. 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 the town of Lorca, state-run EFE said.