Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has appealed for calm as a whole lot of rolling earthquakes have left the residents of Santorini island, and its neighbours within the Aegean Sea, rattled.
Data from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) confirmed the quakes have been persevering with to happen a couple of minutes aside as of 7am on Tuesday (05:00 GMT), with the biggest quake recorded at magnitude 5.1 on Monday afternoon.
Talking from Brussels, Mitsotakis stated authorities have been monitoring a “very intense” geological phenomenon over latest days, earlier than urging “our islanders above all to stay calm”.
1000’s of locals and holidaymakers have crowded onto ferries and flights to depart Santorini and the neighbouring islands of Anafi, Ios and Amorgos, amid fears the tremors, which have thus far brought on minimal harm and no accidents, might point out a bigger earthquake is coming.
The picturesque crescent-shaped Santorini island is dwelling to a dormant volcano, however an professional committee set as much as monitor the scenario stated an estimated 200 quakes of magnitude 3 or extra had been registered, however careworn the phenomenon was “not linked to volcanic exercise”.
Distinguished Greek seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos cautioned that the present earthquake sequence – displayed on dwell seismic maps as a rising cluster of dots between the islands of Santorini, Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi – might point out a bigger impending occasion.
“All eventualities stay open,” Papadopoulos wrote in a web-based put up.
“The variety of tremors has elevated, magnitudes have risen, and epicentres have shifted northeast. Whereas these are tectonic quakes, not volcanic, the chance stage has escalated,” he stated.
An intense earthquake swarm is rattling the island of Santorini, Greece, resulting in evacuations. Earlier at the moment, a M5.1 earthquake joined this swarm — the strongest thus far. pic.twitter.com/YYJfWv7aSQ
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) February 3, 2025
Santorini attracts greater than three million guests yearly to its whitewashed villages constructed alongside dramatic cliffs shaped by an enormous volcanic eruption round 1620 BC, thought-about to be one of many largest in human historical past.
That eruption destroyed a big a part of the island, blanketed a large space in metres of ash and is believed to have contributed to the decline of the traditional Minoan civilisation, which had flourished within the area.
Though Santorini nonetheless has an energetic volcano, the final notable eruption occurred in 1950.
“What we should realise is that the Santorini volcano produces very giant explosions each 20,000 years,” Efthymios Lekkas, seismologist and head of the scientific monitoring committee for the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, stated final week.
“It’s been 3,000 years because the final explosion, so now we have a really very long time forward of us earlier than we face an enormous explosion.”
Ferries and planes full
In accordance with the AFP information company, some 2,000 individuals left Santorini by sea on Sunday and Monday, with ferry operators and airways saying they have been including companies to assist extra individuals go away after a request from the nation’s Ministry for Local weather Disaster and Civil Safety.
In recent times, Instagram fame has introduced tourism on the island to saturation level, though cooler winter climate means it’s removed from peak season but.
Kostas Sakavaras, a vacationer information who has lived on the island for 17 years, informed AFP he had by no means skilled this stage of seismic exercise earlier than.
“It was shaking each three to 4 hours yesterday. This feels completely different from the opposite occasions,” he stated.
Sakavaras stated he left the island on Sunday together with his spouse and two kids, on a ferry stuffed with passengers. “We plan to remain [on the mainland] till the top of the week. I feel it’s going to escalate tomorrow and I hope then it’ll settle down,” he stated.
Emergency crews have helped to arrange tents in a basketball courtroom subsequent to the island’s major hospital as a staging space whereas faculties on all 4 islands have closed.
Push alerts have additionally been despatched to cellphones, warning individuals to avoid areas the place rockslides might happen, and banning entry to some coastal areas.