In brief
Amidst increased seismic activity, thousands of locals have evacuated Santorini as precautionary measures are implemented to ensure safety.
Authorities have advised evacuation from the Old Port of Fira, a bustling tourist hotspot, as over 6,000 residents have departed the island since Sunday. Emergency flights are also being scheduled amidst fears of continued seismic activity, with reports indicating more than 300 earthquakes detected in the last 48 hours. Schools on the island have been closed for the week, and public gatherings have been cautioned against. However, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged residents to remain calm despite the unsettling circumstances. Early Tuesday, tremors reaching magnitudes of 4.7 were felt northeast of the island. Though no significant damage has been reported thus far, local authorities are taking precautions. Many residents, particularly locals, are fleeing as February tends to see a drop in tourist numbers, thus making this an ideal time for evacuation.Long lines formed at the port as residents rushed to board ferries to the mainland. "Everything is closed. No one works now. The whole island has emptied," shared an 18-year-old local before making their journey. In addition to the ferry evacuations, approximately 2,500 to 2,700 passengers are anticipated to have flown from Santorini to Athens by the end of Tuesday, with Aegean Airlines adding emergency flights to accommodate the surge. Located in the Aegean Sea, Santorini typically attracts millions of visitors each year, yet it has a resident population of around 15,500. Local tour guide Kostas Sakavaras shared that his family decided to leave as a precaution. "The scariest part has been the sound," he remarked, noting they plan to return once schools reopen. Schools on the island are expected to remain closed until Friday, and authorities have issued warnings against accessing certain parts of the island, including alerts to empty swimming pools to prevent overflow during suspected landslides. Prime Minister Mitsotakis confirmed that the government is working to address the "intense geological phenomenon" and while seismologists consider the quakes minor, measures have been initiated to brace for larger tremors. The South Aegean Regional Fire Department is currently on alert, with rescue teams actively monitoring the situation.Santorini, part of the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, has a history of volcanic activity, although its last significant eruption occurred in the 1950s. Greek authorities emphasized that the recent seismic events are due to tectonic plate movements rather than volcanic activity.
