Athens, Feb 3 (IANS) Schools on Greece’s Santorini Island, a popular tourist destination in the Aegean Sea, were closed on Monday, and tents were set up on football fields as authorities took precautionary measures following a series of earthquakes over the weekend.
According to scientists at the National Observatory of Athens, more than 300 tremors have jolted Santorini and nearby islands, including Amorgos, since Friday, with magnitudes reaching up to 5 on the Richter scale.
Although Greece sits on several fault lines and experiences earthquakes daily, such an increase in seismic activity has not been recorded in this part of the Aegean Sea since 2012. At that time, tremors lasted for several months without causing injuries, major material damage, or leading to a volcanic eruption, the scientists said.
Santorini is part of the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, an active volcanic field. A major volcanic eruption 3,600 years ago caused a devastating tsunami that reached Crete, according to historians. However, no major volcanic catastrophes have been recorded in modern history.
Local scientists attributed the current quakes to tectonic activity rather than volcanic activity. There is no link between the current seismic activity and the activity observed in the volcanic area in recent months, Efthymios Lekkas, President of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation and Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, told the Greek national news agency AMNA from Santorini on Monday.
Santorini experienced a powerful 7-magnitude earthquake in 1956, which resulted in 50 fatalities and severe material damage. This time, scientists do not expect the current seismic activity to produce a tremor greater than 6 on the Richter scale but do anticipate that quakes will last for several weeks, Lekkas said.
As experts and rescue teams were dispatched to the area, some visitors and locals chose to leave the island on Monday. Authorities advised those remaining to avoid indoor gatherings and stay away from cliffs in certain parts of the island.
“At this time of year, we do not have many foreigners visiting, and it is understandable that those who do not experience tremors often might be alarmed. Locals are calm. We are on alert, but we do not panic,” George Halaris, a local tourist shop owner, told Xinhua news agency.
Santorini, home to about 20,000 permanent residents, welcomes more than three million visitors each year.
–IANS
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