Schools remained closed and evacuation flights were charted as the popular Greek holiday island, Santorini, felt another spike in seismic activity over the weekend with over 200 minor earthquakes recorded. Emergency crews have been deployed with Greek authorities concerned about a potentially powerful earthquake in the making that could wreak havoc on the island.
The frequency of the quakes, which continued throughout Sunday night and into Monday, has worried residents and visitors. Amid the developing situation, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged the citizens and tourists to display calm and listen to the authorities.
"We have a very intense geological phenomenon to handle. I want to ask our islanders first and foremost to remain calm, to listen to the instructions of the Civil Protection (authority)," said Mr Mitsotakis.
In Fira, the tourist island's main town, the civic bodies have earmarked points for residents in preparation for a potential evacuation, according to local media reports, with Mayor Nikos Zorzos emphasising that the measures were only preventative in nature.
"We are obliged to make preparations. But being prepared for something does not mean it will happen," said Mr Zorzos.
"Sometimes, the way the situation is reported, those reports may contain exaggerations... so people should stay calm."
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Volcanic eruption?
While the government has claimed that the quakes with magnitudes over 4.5 were not linked to Santorini's volcano, some experts have raised the alarm. Notably, the curved island in the Aegean Sea is located around a flooded volcanic caldera.
The island is famous for its historical volcanic activity, particularly the massive Minoan eruption around 1600 BC which is regarded as one of the largest in human history. Between 2011 and 2012, Santorini experienced a similar seismic swarm linked to magma movement beneath the surface, but no eruption ensued.
The most recent eruption in Santorini's history was recorded in 1950, suggesting that the island's volcano remains active but not necessarily on the brink of an eruption. Despite no immediate danger, scientists continue to monitor the situation to understand if there's any indication of magma movement or if it's just part of the usual tectonic activity in the region.
