Santorini preparing evacuation plans after island rocked by earthquakes
Schools remain shut and evacuation flights are underway after Greek holiday island Santorini was shaken by earthquakes for the fourth day in a row.
A spike in seismic activity has been recorded on the volcanic island in the Aegean Sea since Friday, sparking fears of a powerful earthquake.
Quakes, some with a magnitude above 4, rattled Santorini every few minutes on Monday as people were advised to avoid large indoor gatherings, small ports and areas where rockslides could occur.
Hotels were also instructed to drain their swimming pools to reduce potential building damage from an earthquake.
Precautionary measures have also been carried out on several nearby islands in the Aegean Sea, all of which are popular holiday destinations, after more than 200 undersea earthquakes were recorded over the past three days.
Experts have said that the seismic activity on the island, some of whose most populated areas are perched on steep cliffs, will continue for weeks.
‘We estimate it (the activity) will continue for some days and there could be a lengthy seismic sequence,’ Efthymios Lekkas, a professor of tectonic geology and disaster management, and part of a team of experts assessing the situation on the ground, told Greek television.
Local officials said that permanent residents were not particularly worried as they have been used to quakes but some who were on the island for work were moving out.
Video footage by local media showed packed ferries full of tourists leaving the island on Monday morning as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile locals have also been spooked by the frequency of the quakes, with fears that a much larger eruption may be on the horizon.
Michalis Gerontakis, a resident who is also the director of the Santorini Philharmonic Orchestra, told local news: ‘I have never felt anything like this and with such frequency — an earthquake every 10 or 20 minutes. Everyone is anxious even if some of us hide it not to cause panic, but everyone is worried.
‘We came out yesterday and performed. Despite the earthquakes, the Philharmonic performed for a religious occasion,’ he added.
‘When you are playing, you cannot feel the quakes but there were earthquakes when we were at the church. No one knows what will happen. People can say whatever they like, but that has no value. You cannot contend with nature.’
Aegean Airlines said it would operate three additional flights to and from Santorini on Monday and Tuesday to facilitate the travel of residents and visitors upon a request by Greece’s Civil Protection Ministry.
Greece sits on multiple fault lines and is often rattled by earthquakes.
One of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, around 1600 BC, formed Santorini in its current shape. The last eruption in the area occurred in 1950.
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