Emergency Crews Deployed On Popular Greek Island As Earthquake Swarm Worries Experts | rssama.com

SANTORINI, Greece (AP) — Schools were closed and emergency crews deployed connected nan volcanic Greek land of Santorini connected Monday aft a spike successful seismic activity raised concerns astir a perchance powerful earthquake.

Precautions were besides ordered connected respective adjacent Aegean Sea islands — each celebrated summertime picnic destinations — aft much than 200 undersea earthquakes were recorded successful nan area complete nan past 3 days.

“These measures are precautionary, and authorities will stay vigilant,” Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said precocious Sunday pursuing an emergency authorities gathering successful Athens. “We impulse citizens to strictly adhere to information recommendations to minimize risk.”

While Greek experts opportunity nan quakes, galore pinch magnitudes complete 4.5, are not linked to Santorini’s volcano, they admit that nan shape of seismic activity is origin for concern.

The wave of nan quakes, which continued passim Sunday nighttime and into Monday, has worried residents.

“I person ne'er felt thing for illustration this and pinch specified wave — an earthquake each 10 aliases 20 minutes. Everyone is anxious moreover if immoderate of america hide it not to origin panic, but everyone is worried,” said Michalis Gerontakis, who is besides nan head of nan Santorini Philharmonic Orchestra.

“We came retired yesterday and performed. Despite nan earthquakes, nan philharmonic performed for a belief occasion,” Gerontakis said. “When you are playing, you cannot consciousness nan quakes but location were earthquakes erstwhile we were astatine nan church. No 1 tin knows what will happen. People tin opportunity immoderate they like, but that has nary value. You cannot contend pinch nature.”

Government officials met pinch scientists passim nan play and connected Monday to measure nan situation, while schools were besides ordered unopen connected nan adjacent islands of Amorgos, Anafi and Ios.

On Santorini, residents and visitors were advised to debar ample indoor gatherings and areas wherever stone slides could occur, while hotels were instructed to drain swimming pools to trim imaginable building harm from an earthquake.

Fire work rescuers who arrived connected nan land connected Sunday group up yellowish tents arsenic a staging area wrong a hoops tribunal adjacent to nan island’s main hospital.

“We arrived past night, a 26-member squad of rescuers and 1 rescue dog,” said occurrence brigadier Ioannis Billias, adding that galore residents, including full families, spent nan nighttime successful their cars.

A firefighter walks adjacent to tents group up astatine a hoops tribunal to accommodate Fire Service rescuers arsenic Greek authorities is taking emergency measures successful consequence to aggravated seismic activity connected nan celebrated Aegean Sea vacation land of Santorini, confederate Greece, connected Feb. 3, 2025.

Petros Giannakouris via Associated Press

Some residents and section workers headed to recreation agents seeking level aliases ferry tickets to time off nan island.

“We’ve had earthquakes earlier but ne'er thing for illustration this. This feels different,” said Nadia Benomar, a Moroccan circuit guideline who has lived connected nan land for 19 years. She bought a ferry summons Monday for nan adjacent land of Naxos. “I request to get distant for a fewer days until things calm down.”

People hold to bargain vessel and aerial tickets arsenic Greek authorities are taking emergency measures successful consequence to aggravated seismic activity connected nan celebrated Aegean Sea vacation land of Santorini, confederate Greece, connected Feb. 3, 2025.

Petros Giannakouris via Associated Press

Others said they were consenting to return nan risk. Restaurant worker Yiannis Fragiadakis had been distant but said he returned to Santorini connected Sunday contempt nan earthquakes.

“I wasn’t afraid. I cognize that group are really worried and are leaving, and erstwhile I sewage to nan larboard it was really busy, it was for illustration nan summer,” Fragiadakis said. “I scheme to enactment and hopefully nan edifice will commencement moving (for nan vacation season) successful 3 weeks.”

Crescent-shaped Santorini is simply a premier tourism destination pinch regular arrivals via commercialized flights, ferries, and cruise ships. The land draws much than 3 cardinal visitors annually to its whitewashed villages, built on melodramatic cliffs formed by a monolithic volcanic eruption much than 3,500 years ago.

Prominent Greek seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos cautioned that nan existent earthquake series – displayed connected unrecorded seismic maps arsenic a increasing cluster of dots betwixt nan islands of Santorini, Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi — could bespeak a larger impending event.

“All scenarios stay open,” Papadopoulos wrote successful an online post. “The number of tremors has increased, magnitudes person risen, and epicenters person shifted northeast. While these are tectonic quakes, not volcanic, nan consequence level has escalated.”

In Santorini’s main municipality of Fira, section authorities designated gathering points for residents successful mentation for a imaginable evacuation, though Mayor Nikos Zorzos emphasized nan preventive quality of nan measures.

“We are obliged to make preparations. But being prepared for thing does not mean it will happen,” he said during a play briefing. “Sometimes, nan measurement nan business is reported, those reports whitethorn incorporate exaggerations... truthful group should enactment calm.”

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