A series of earthquakes reaching magnitude 5.1 on the Richter scale rocked the city of Lorca in southeastern Spanish  on the evening of May 11, causing eight deaths and injuring nearly 300 people, according to municipal officials. Several buildings in the historic center collapsed, including at least  one stonework church. The quake's epicenter was between Lorca and La Hoya, some 15 km away. With a population of some 80,000, Lorca is about 75 km southeast of Murcia.