Santorini shaken: Mass evacuations amid earthquake fears
On Tuesday, 4th February, tremors with a magnitude of 4.7 were recorded on Santorini, causing panic among both residents and tourists. A spontaneous, mass evacuation commenced, resulting in significant chaos at the port.
Hundreds of earthquakes have been reported in the vicinity of Santorini in the Aegean Sea over the past few days. On Tuesday, early in the morning, the strongest tremor reached a magnitude of 4.9. On the same day, six tremors occurred within 50 minutes in the area surrounding the neighbouring islands of Amorgos and Anafi. The strongest of these had a magnitude of 3.9.
Many people have chosen to evacuate the island, using ferries and additional flights to Athens. The Greek airline Aegean Airlines has organised extra services to accommodate the growing demand.
Chaos in the ports
Chaos prevailed at the port of Santorini as hundreds of people simultaneously attempted to leave the island. Authorities have appealed for people to avoid areas primarily serving cruise ships. Schools on Santorini and nearby islands have been closed, and events in enclosed spaces have been cancelled. Approximately 9,000 residents and tourists have left the Greek island thus far, while approximately 15,500 people reside permanently in Santorini.
Precautionary measures
The Greek portal Protothema reported that Aegean Airlines had added extra flights between Santorini and Athens. Planes arriving on the island are nearly empty, primarily carrying service personnel, while departing fully booked with passengers leaving the area.
The Greek authorities assure the public that the situation is under control and that precautionary measures are being taken. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired an extraordinary meeting in Athens to prepare for a potential evacuation of the entire island. The police and fire brigade are on standby.
Experts on the situation
Costas Papazachos, a professor of geophysics, emphasises that the tremors are due to tectonic movements, not volcanic activity.
In an interview with the portal Protothema, he said, "This does not necessarily mean that there will be a strong earthquake. It may well be that the thermal energy dissipates, and we have a smaller earthquake in Santorini. But we have to take measures."
Although no destruction has occurred so far, many people have decided to leave the island, fearing more substantial events, especially since experts do not rule out the possibility of a stronger earthquake that could trigger a tsunami. The authorities urge calm.
Many are spending the nights in cars or in specially designated safe zones.
Santorini has a rich seismic history. In 1956, the neighbouring island of Amorgos experienced an earthquake of magnitude exceeding 7, which triggered the largest tsunami in the Mediterranean Sea.
