Hundreds of people have been queuing for ferries at the port of Santorini since this morning, after hundreds of earthquakes continued to shake the popular Greek island, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Hundreds of earthquakes were registered in the sea between the volcanic islands of Santorini and Amorgos in the Aegean Sea since Friday until today. Yesterday alone, six earthquakes with a magnitude of over 4 on the Richter scale were registered, and the strongest was with a magnitude of 4.9.
Greek authorities have imposed evacuations and increased surveillance while they assess the situation, the Greek newspaper "Kathimerini" reported. A total of 37 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 4, as well as numerous smaller tremors, were recorded on the island from Saturday to Monday evening.
Seismologists installed two new monitoring stations on the islands of Anidros and Anafi, with which they will closely monitor seismic activity. Workers and tourists were moved to safe areas away from the caldera - a volcanic formation formed when the crater collapsed inwards and known for its volcanic activity.
"We are monitoring the situation closely, but at this stage there is no reason to panic," said Efthymios Lekas, a leading Greek seismologist. "Although these earthquakes are disturbing, they are not an indicator of an impending volcanic eruption or catastrophic event," Lekas said.
Lines of cars and hundreds of people formed at the island's main port yesterday afternoon trying to board a ferry. Extra ferries from Santorini have been launched, as well as additional flights, ANA-MPA reported.
More than 200 underwater earthquakes have been recorded in the past three days, the Associated Press noted. Authorities deployed emergency rescue teams and closed schools on the islands of Santorini, Anafi, Ios and Amorgos until Friday.
Residents and visitors were advised to avoid large indoor gatherings, as well as areas where landslides could occur. Santorini, shaped like a crescent moon, is a top tourist destination with daily visits by commercial flights, ferries and cruise ships, the AP said. The island draws more than 3 million visitors a year to its whitewashed villages built along impressive cliffs formed by a major volcanic eruption more than 3,500 years ago.