Earthquakes have not stopped this Thursday in the islands of the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Dozens of tremors with magnitudes between 1.2 and 4.6 have shaken these two islands approximately every 10 minutes. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged the islanders to remain calm and will visit Santorini this Friday, February 7, along with the Minister of Civil Protection, Vasilis Kikilias.
Emergency teams on the island have been reinforced. One helicopter and four Coast Guard boats, along with 21 vessels, are on alert in the area. The Central Union of Greek Chambers of Commerce (KEEE) has asked the government to support the residents of Santorini, as they anticipate a negative impact on the local economy, which is mainly based on tourism.
According to experts, while the chances of an earthquake greater than magnitude 6 are low, it is expected that the tremors will continue to affect the island for weeks or months. This seismic activity is due to the movement of tectonic plates in the underwater fault of Ánydros, between Santorini and Amorgos.
The Greek government has declared a state of emergency in Santorini due to the series of earthquakes that have affected the island for nearly two weeks. Thousands of residents and tourists have left Santorini for fear of a larger earthquake. The state of emergency will extend until March 1 to address urgent needs on the island.
Professor of Natural Disaster Management, Efthimis Lekkas, has warned about the high risk of landslides along the island's volcanic caldera. Thousands of people have fled Santorini, leaving only a few tourists and about 4,000 residents on the island. Thousands of tremors have been recorded in the maritime area between Santorini and Amorgos, with several of considerable magnitudes.
