Santorini, a popular tourist hotspot in Greece, is in crisis mode after thousands of tremors forced authorities to take drastic action – and nearly 15,000 people have fled since Sunday
Santorini has been rattled by more earthquakes – just hours after Greek authorities declared a state of emergency on the island.
The island, popular with tourists, is in crisis mode after thousands of tremors forced authorities to take drastic action. Nearly 15,000 people have fled their homes there since Sunday.
Last night, a 4.6-magnitude quake struck the sea between Santorini and Amorgos at 8.16pm local time, followed by a 4.2-magnitude tremor roughly two hours later. The latest shocks come after a powerful 5.2-magnitude earthquake rattled the region on Wednesday, the strongest recorded so far.
Brits have been warned to avoid visiting old abandoned buildings and shouldn’t attend indoor gatherings if they visit Santorini this month. The Foreign Office advice may change following the latest earthquakes so tourists should regularly check the government website amid the bleak situation.
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Chryssa Pappas, a Santorini resident, told reporters this week: “We’re all really scared. Our island is shaking constantly, and no one seems to know what will happen next.”
Greek seismologist Akis Tselepis warned that the same fault line responsible for the catastrophic 1956 earthquake — which killed 50 people and injured hundreds — has been reactivated.
The expert told The Sun: “The seismic activity is not withdrawing, on the contrary, it is gaining in momentum. The worst-case scenario is that we will again see an earthquake of the same magnitude.”
Santorini’s Thira Municipality confirmed the emergency measures will remain in place until March 3. It said in a statement: “A state of emergency has been decided to confront urgent needs and deal with the consequences that have arisen from the seismic activity.”
Julian Sinanaj, a 35-year-old resident, said this week: “I work on the island, I have been a resident for years. But today… nobody was expecting this to happen, what is happening now on the island is incredible.”
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to visit Santorini today. Ge had said: “All plans have been implemented. Forces have been moved to Santorini and the other islands so that we are ready for any eventuality.”
The island’s dramatic cliffs have been scarred by landslides, with clouds of dust rising as rocks crash into the sea. Police have cordoned off large parts of the island, which is in the Aegean Sea. It is one of Greece’s smaller islands, dwarfed by the likes of Crete, Evia and Rhodes around it.
Since February 1, a staggering 108 earthquakes measuring more than 4.0 on the Richter scale have been recorded in Santorini — more than in the entire year of 2023. In total, more than 7,700 tremors – smaller vinrations – have shaken the region in just one week.
