Authorities in Greece have instituted a state of emergency on Santorini following a succession of earthquakes that have rattled the renowned tourist hotspot.
Over 10,000 inhabitants and workers abandoned the island this week as near-constant shaking and undersea seismic activities have been documented between Santorini and the adjacent islands of Amorgos, Anafi, and Ios.
A quake measuring 5.2 in magnitude occurred on Wednesday evening – the strongest recorded since seismic activity began on January 31.
A drone view displays a section of Santorini Caldera. Pic: Reuters
Officials have alerted the public about a significant landslide hazard, leading to the closure of educational institutions, the deployment of rescue teams, and urging residents to steer clear of ports and large indoor gatherings.
Several of the island’s iconic cliff-side towns have been barricaded.
Military, firefighting, and law enforcement units have been dispatched to the area.
The cliffside town of Fira. Santorini is celebrated for its stunning villages – however, many are currently under lockdown. Pic: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris
The emergency status is expected to remain in effect until March 3, allowing Greece’s climate crisis and civil protection ministry to address the repercussions of the seismic events.
Greece ranks among the most earthquake-affected nations in Europe, yet seismologists have indicated that the current level of activity is without precedent and could persist for weeks or months.
The specialists assert that the tremors are not linked to volcanic activity in the Aegean Sea but cannot predict whether they might precede a more potent earthquake.
Flora, 94, lines up for a ferry to the Greek mainland. Pic: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris
Read more: What is driving the ‘unusual seismic activity’?
“We are not in a position to declare that we are observing any concrete evidence suggesting the sequence is nearing a conclusion,” asserted Vassilis K Karastathis, a seismologist and research director at the National Observatory of Athens.
“We are still actively experiencing this situation; there has been no indication of any abatement or regression.”
Nevertheless, the fact that the tremors are occurring underwater significantly mitigates the likelihood of extensive devastation when compared to seismic events on land.
Santorini took its current form after one of the largest volcanic eruptions recorded in history, which transpired around 1600 BC.
