Share and Follow
Key Points
- Santorini has been shaken by tremors for six consecutive days, prompting fears of a major earthquake.
- Around 10,000 people have already left the island by ferry and plane, with more departures expected.
- Greek officials and seismologists say they are on alert, with emergency services ready for any situation.
About 10,000 people have left on ferries and planes in recent days as hundreds of small quakes were registered in the surrounding sea, shaking buildings, kicking up dust on the island’s rocky cliffs, and raising fears of a major earthquake.
Government officials and seismologists who met on Wednesday to assess the situation pointed to a high risk of landslides, including near the island’s main port Athinios which serves some 1.5 million passengers a year.
Residents and visitors wait at the port of Athinios to leave the island due to the increased seismic activity, in Santorini, Greece. Source: EPA / Orestis Panagiotou
Local authorities have restricted access to some high risk areas, while first responders, vessels and a helicopter were on alert in case of emergency.
Two ferry routes from the port of Piraeus to Santorini and vice versa were cancelled on Wednesday due to rough seas. Bad weather was not expected to disrupt six Aegean Airlines flights, including two emergency ones, scheduled for Wednesday.
Santorini took its current shape following one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, around 1600 BC. The last eruption in the area occurred in 1950.
