How come an earthquake of mag 5.3 killed 10 people in spain

there were some other earthquakes that were larger ..like 7.0 and there was no deaths report. what is the reason?

Lorca is a town not too far from where I live. The problem is mainly that many of the buildings and structures are very old and as result crumbled away or collapsed when the tremors hit. The newer buildings were largely untouched >> http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/3149…

Not all earthquakes are the same. Even quakes of the same magnitude can have different effects depending on the soil conditions. Non-cohesive (loose) soils will virtually liquefy under shaking. Whereas solid granite of course is going to hold up much better. On top of that, there is the population density of the area hit. Another factor is the construction type. Older masonry buildings which are common in Spain perform very poorly in earthquakes. We use steel today to give them tensile strength to withstand an earthquake. Picture a piece of chalk and how it snaps easily when you bend it. However, a similar size drinking straw can be bent really far before it snaps, that is because it is flexible and the chalk is not.

Earthquakes do not normally kill people. If you are standing out in an open field and there is an Earthquake you will most likely not be injured, Unless the ground opens up and you fall into a hole. but that rarely happens.

Most deaths are a result of building collapse.

It is not the Earthquake that kills you, it is the man made object falling on you.

Or

A Tsunami

A very small earthquake could cause a building to collapse, a wall could topple, a bus could skid off a high bridge during the quake - all kinds of things can happen during a quake that can kill people. Most deaths are not due to the shaking itself but to the effects on structures.

Location, location, location.