Schools have been closed and emergency crews were deployed on the Greek island of Santorini after a spike in seismic activity raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake. Precautions were also ordered on several nearby Aegean Sea islands – all popular summer holiday destinations – after more than 200 undersea earthquakes were recorded in the area over the past three days.
The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning saying people need to be aware of the danger and follow all local instructions.
Civil protection minister Vasilis Kikilias said after an emergency government meeting in Athens: “These measures are precautionary, and authorities will remain vigilant. We urge citizens to strictly adhere to safety recommendations to minimise risk.”
Greek experts say the quakes, many with magnitudes of more than 4.5, are not linked to Santorini’s volcano, but they acknowledge that the pattern of seismic activity is cause for concern. The frequency of the quakes, which continued throughout Sunday night and into Monday, has worried residents.
Michalis Gerontakis, the director of the Santorini Philharmonic Orchestra, said: “I have never felt anything like this and with such frequency – an earthquake every 10 or 20 minutes. Everyone is anxious even if some of us hide it not to cause panic, but everyone is worried.We came out yesterday and performed. Despite the earthquakes, the philharmonic performed for a religious occasion.
“When you are playing, you cannot feel the quakes but there were earthquakes when we were at the church. No-one can knows what will happen. People can say whatever they like, but that has no value. You cannot contend with nature.”
Government officials met with scientists throughout the weekend and on Monday to assess the situation, while schools were also ordered to close on the nearby islands of Amorgos, Anafi and Ios. On Santorini, residents and visitors were advised to avoid large indoor gatherings and areas where rock slides could occur, while hotels were instructed to drain swimming pools to reduce potential building damage from an earthquake.
Fire service rescuers who arrived on the island on Sunday set up yellow tents as a staging area inside a basketball court next to the island’s main hospital. Some residents and local workers headed to travel agents seeking plane or ferry tickets to leave the island.
Nadia Benomar, a Moroccan tour guide who has lived on the island for 19 years, said: “We’ve had earthquakes before but never anything like this. This feels different.”
She bought a ferry ticket for the nearby island of Naxos, adding: “I need to get away for a few days until things calm down.”
Others said they were willing to take the risk. Restaurant worker Yiannis Fragiadakis had been away but said he returned to Santorini on Sunday despite the earthquakes. “I wasn’t afraid. I know that people are really worried and are leaving, and when I got to the port it was really busy, it was like the summer,” Mr Fragiadakis said. “I plan to stay and hopefully the restaurant will start working (for the holiday season) in three weeks.”
Crescent-shaped Santorini is a premier tourism destination with daily arrivals via commercial flights, ferries, and cruise ships. The island draws more than three million visitors annually to its whitewashed villages, built along dramatic cliffs formed by a massive volcanic eruption more than 3,500 years ago.
Prominent Greek seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos cautioned that the current earthquake sequence – displayed on live seismic maps as a growing cluster of dots between the islands of Santorini, Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi — could indicate a larger impending event.
“All scenarios remain open,” Mr Papadopoulos wrote in an online post. “The number of tremors has increased, magnitudes have risen, and epicentres have shifted north-east. While these are tectonic quakes, not volcanic, the risk level has escalated.”
In Santorini’s main town of Fira, local authorities designated gathering points for residents in preparation for a potential evacuation, though Mayor Nikos Zorzos emphasised these measures were taken as a precaution. “We are obliged to make preparations. But being prepared for something does not mean it will happen,” he said during a weekend briefing.
“Sometimes, the way the situation is reported, those reports may contain exaggerations… so people should stay calm.”