Seismic activity on the popular tourist island of Santorini in Greece is gradually decreasing, geology professor Euthymios Lekkas said on Thursday as he monitors the situation.
Since February 1, thousands of underwater earthquakes of up to 5.3 magnitude have been recorded in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Santorini. This prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency for at least a month. More than 11,000 people, including many seasonal workers, have fled the island.
Meanwhile, Lekkas said the tremors will continue for a short time and then things will return to normal.
Additional seismographs have been installed on the uninhabited island of Nea Kameni near Santorini to assess the impact of seismic activity on the local volcano. The last eruption here was in 1950. The volcano is still active. But according to Lekkas, the seismic activity has nothing to do with it.
Santorini is one of the most popular summer holiday destinations in Europe. The island’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. The unrelenting tremors forced holidaymakers to leave in haste. However, locals have mostly stayed. Authorities are urging people to stay away from the mountains as there could be rock falls.
The Greek government plans to build an evacuation port on the island to ensure safe evacuation of people in case of a strong earthquake.
