For the third consecutive day, thousands of individuals have been departing the Greek island of Santorini by both sea and air due to an extraordinary series of earthquakes impacting this popular tourist destination.
Officials reported that approximately 6,000 people have already evacuated the island, famous for its stunning cliffside landscapes and a dormant volcano, which has experienced hundreds of tremors since the previous week.
This morning, another earthquake measuring 4.9 in magnitude occurred, accompanied by several smaller tremors. Fortunately, no injuries or damage have been reported on Santorini or the neighboring islands of Anafi, Ios, and Amorgos, all of which have also felt the effects of the seismic disturbances.
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“This is unprecedented; we have not witnessed anything like this before,” stated Athanassios Ganas, research director at the national observatory’s institute of geodynamics, during an interview with state TV ERT.
People are queuing to purchase tickets for ferries to exit the island.
He highlighted that the region had experienced over 40 earthquakes with a magnitude exceeding 4.0 in just the last 72 hours.
Santorini is situated atop a volcano that last erupted in 1950; however, an experts’ committee announced yesterday that the current seismic events are “not associated with volcanic activity.”
The Greek coastguard reported that more than 4,600 individuals have departed the island by ferry since Sunday.
Aegean Airlines, the nation’s leading air carrier, indicated that it had flown nearly 1,300 people out of Santorini yesterday, with an additional eight flights capable of carrying 1,400 passengers scheduled for today.
As a precautionary measure, schools across all four islands have been closed until Friday.
Santorini has been experiencing a series of tremors since Friday.
Efthymios Lekkas, head of Greece’s earthquake planning and protection authority, has assessed that a more dangerous earthquake of 6.0 magnitude is improbable.
“The residents of Santorini should feel secure. There is no reason to panic,” he conveyed during an interview with Mega TV.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also urged for tranquility, acknowledging that the current situation is “very intense”.
Santorini welcomed approximately 3.4 million visitors in 2023.
European travel agents contacted by AFP reported that the number of foreign tourists visiting Santorini at this time of year is low, with greater bookings anticipated in the spring.
