A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck Álava province and its capital Vitoria just past midnight on December 8, 2025. The epicenter was near Iruña de Oca, about five kilometers away, and was felt in several nearby areas with no reported damage so far.
The National Geographic Institute recorded the quake at 00:10:23, with a superficial depth of zero kilometers. While seismic stations estimated magnitudes between 3.4 and 4.9, the official reading is 4.0 on the mb_Lg scale. The tremor lasted three to four seconds but was intense enough to shake furniture, beds, and lamps inside homes in Vitoria.
The event impacted the entire Basque capital, as well as municipalities like Kuartango and La Puebla de Arganzón. It was also felt in La Rioja towns, including Miranda de Ebro, Haro, Logroño, Pancorbo, Nájera, Arnedo, and Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Rated as minor on a six-level scale, it caused significant alarm among residents, many of whom rushed to streets or balconies fearing aftershocks.
A Vitoria resident told El Mundo: "We thought it was an explosion." Another said: "I thought the house was collapsing because everything was shaking." A woman who got a mobile alert initially dismissed it as a joke, though she didn't feel it while out on the street. In neighborhoods like Zabalgana, groups of neighbors gathered in central avenues as a precaution.
No material or personal damages have been reported yet. The IGN has launched a macroseismic questionnaire on its website for affected individuals to share their experiences, aiding in assessing intensity and potential impacts. Neither Vitoria City Hall, led by Maider Etxebarria, nor the Basque Government has issued official statements. The epicenter lies in the Subijana aquifer area, a major underground reservoir spanning 170 kilometers in diameter southeast of Vitoria.