Santorini in state of emergency after strongest quake in days of tremors

The renowned Greek tourist destination, Santorini, has declared a state of emergency after experiencing several days of frequent tremors. This earthquake was the most intense of the recent seismic activity, leading to the evacuation of a large number of tourists and residents from the island.

On Wednesday evening (early Thursday morning Australian Eastern Time), Santorini experienced a 5.2 magnitude earthquake, the first to exceed 5.0 magnitude since the tremors began last week. In response to this seismic activity, the Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection declared a state of emergency on the island on Thursday, effective until March 3rd.

It is estimated that approximately 11,000 people have already fled the island. Santorini attracts over 3.4 million tourists annually and has a permanent population of around 20,000. Greek authorities have arranged additional flights to help people evacuate to the safer mainland. However, evacuation efforts were hampered on Wednesday due to strong winds preventing ferries from leaving the port, but normal service has resumed on Thursday.

Santorini is located near the boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates and frequently experiences seismic activity, but earthquakes of this intensity and duration are rare. In addition to Santorini, the nearby islands of Amorgos and Ios have also been affected by the tremors. There have been no reports of significant damage so far, but Greek authorities are taking precautionary measures in preparation for a potentially larger earthquake.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated after a meeting with senior officials on Wednesday: "The entire national mechanism has been activated, and I would like to urge our citizens to cooperate with the authorities." Santorini's shape is attributed to geological phenomena thousands of years ago. The island is known for its caldera, a bowl-shaped crater formed by a volcanic eruption, which resulted from one of the largest known explosions around 1600 BC. For days, Santorini has experienced hundreds of tremors every few minutes, with magnitudes around 3.0, considered "minor" earthquakes. The earthquake exceeding 5.0 magnitude on Wednesday was considered a "moderate" earthquake. Subsequently, there have been at least five earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 or higher, which are considered "light" earthquakes. The last major earthquake in Santorini occurred in 1956, with a magnitude of 7.5, causing at least 53 deaths and over 100 injuries.