Schools on the popular Greek island of Santorini were closed and emergency crews were deployed Monday following a surge in seismic activity, triggering fears of a potentially significant earthquake, The Associated Press reports.
The heightened alert also extended to several nearby Aegean Sea islands, popular summer vacation spots, after over 200 undersea earthquakes were recorded in the area in just three days.
While Greek experts insist the quakes, which have reached a magnitude of 4.8, are not connected to Santorini’s dormant volcano, they have expressed concern over the unusual pattern of seismic activity. The frequency of the tremors, continuing throughout Sunday night and into Monday, has rattled residents and prompted emergency measures.
Government officials have been in constant consultation with scientists throughout the weekend and on Monday to assess the situation. As a precaution, schools were also ordered shut on the neighboring islands of Amorgos, Anafi, and Ios.
On Santorini, residents and visitors are being advised to avoid large indoor gatherings and areas susceptible to rock slides. Hotels were instructed to drain their swimming pools to mitigate potential structural damage from a powerful earthquake.
Fire Service rescuers arrived on the island Sunday, setting up a staging area with yellow tents at a basketball court next to the island’s main hospital. The tremors continued to shake the island overnight and into Monday morning, with many registering above magnitude 4.0. According to reports, many residents, including entire families, spent the night in their cars due to the ongoing seismic activity.
Santorini, a crescent-shaped island renowned for its dramatic cliffs and whitewashed villages, is a major tourism destination that attracts more than 3 million visitors annually via commercial flights, ferries, and cruise ships. The island’s unique landscape was formed by a massive volcanic eruption over 3,500 years ago.
Prominent Greek seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos has cautioned that the current earthquake sequence, which appears on live seismic maps as a growing cluster of dots between Santorini, Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi, could indicate a larger event is imminent.
In Santorini’s main town of Fira, local authorities have designated gathering points for residents in preparation for a possible evacuation, but Mayor Nikos Zorzos has stressed that these measures are purely preventative.
