An earthquake has hit a popular tourist hotspot in Spain as Britons were left "terrified" by the "strongest quake ever".
A magnitude 3 earthquake struck Costa Blanca region overnight, sending tremors through the popular tourist resort of Torrevieja.
British holidaymakers and expatriates were just some of those who felt the powerful tremors just after midnight as residents reported buildings shaking and loud noises.
The seismic activity left many residents frightened by the unexpected disturbance as one resident admitted online: "I'm terrified."
A magnitude 3 earthquake sent tremors through the popular tourist resort of Torrevieja
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The earthquake's epicentre was located just five kilometres from the holiday hotspot, according to the Instituto Geografico Nacional.
The seismic event woke many from their sleep, with some describing being "almost thrown out of bed" when the quake struck.
A British ex-pat living in the Los Balcones resort just south of Alicante described the terrifying experience, taking to social media to post: "It was something else. The whole house was shaking. I couldn't go back to sleep as I thought there was more to come."
He added: "This was the strongest and loudest I've experienced yet."
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Another resident told Spanish Eye it was "the strongest quake I have ever felt in my life".
Many took to social media to share their experiences of the rare overnight seismic event.
Local resident Matias Web, who described himself as "used to these types of events", said this earthquake produced "a very loud noise, as if rocks had been breaking deep underground. We were probably very close to the epicentre."
One Spanish resident simply wrote on social media: "My whole house shook!"
Another resident told Spanish Eye it was 'the strongest quake I have ever felt in my life' (Stock)
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The earthquake was not an isolated incident, with a series of additional tremors registered off the coast of Barcelona, north of the Balearic islands, shortly after the main event.
Others described the specific effects in neighbouring towns.
"In Orihuela Costa there was a lot of noise and vibrations," reported another resident.
The tremors were particularly alarming for those experiencing such an event for the first time - including British tourists visiting the region during the Easter holiday period.
