Thousands leave as fresh tremors shake Greece's Santorini

by Will VASSILOPOULOS with John HADOULIS in Athens

Thousands of people fled the Greek island of Santorini by sea and air for a third day on Tuesday, as more earthquakes shook the top travel destination.

Some 7,000 people have left the island, known for its spectacular cliffside views and dormant volcano, which has been hit by hundreds of tremors since last week, officials said.

One quake with a magnitude of 4.9 hit early Tuesday and hours later was followed by a 5.0-magnitude tremor.

Some 750 earthquakes have shaken the island and the surrounding 1,000 square kilometres (386 square miles) since January 24, according to Greek monitors.

No injuries or damage have been reported on Santorini and the neighboring islands of Anafi, Ios and Amorgos however.

Experts say the region has not experienced seismic activity on this scale since records began in 1964.

"This is the first time this is happening, we have not seen it before," Athanassios Ganas, research director at the national observatory's institute of geodynamics, told state TV ERT.

He noted that the area had been hit with over 40 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 4.0 in the past 72 hours.

Santorini lies atop a volcano which last erupted in 1950 -- but an experts' committee on Monday said the current phenomenon was "not linked to volcanic activity."

According to the Greek coastguard, over 5,700 people have left the island by ferry since Sunday.

Aegean Airlines said it had flown nearly 1,300 people out of Santorini on Monday, with another eight flights able to carry 1,400 passengers scheduled for Tuesday.

Ferry services to Santorini have also been increased.

Schools on all four islands have been shut as a precaution until Friday, prompting many people with children to leave until the quake scare eases.

Some tourists on the island say they are not overly concerned.

"I'm not so worried about the earthquake or volcano because I came from Tokyo," said Wataru Saito, a 43-year-old economist who spent a day on the island.

He noted that the tremor levels in Santorini are negligible compared to the earthquakes experienced in Japan.

- 'Tiny' tremors -

Roger Beauchamp from Arizona called the tremors "tiny."

"We've been feeling them all day, little light ones. So we're not afraid of them," he told AFP.

The head of Greece's earthquake planning and protection authority, Efthymios Lekkas, has said that a major earthquake of 6.0 magnitude was unlikely.

"The residents of Santorini should feel safe. There must not be panic," he told Mega TV on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday also appealed for calm, whilst admitting that the phenomenon is "very intense".

Santorini attracted about 3.4 million visitors in 2023.

European travel agents contacted by AFP said foreign visitors to Santorini at this time of year were minimal, with more bookings expected in the spring.

Ted Stathis, who runs a catamaran company and a sushi restaurant, said he expected the disruption to "blow over soon."

"I have to admit, it's something out of the ordinary," the 54-year-old said.

Aerial shots of the Greek island Santorini which continues to be rattled by an unprecedented series of earthquakes. Thousands of people have left the popular tourist destination, known for its spectacular cliffside views and a dormant volcano. IMAGES

"I mean, we have had tremors throughout the years, but sporadically. These are just many, many concentrated."

"As long as they start subsiding, we should be in the clear," Stathis said, noting that most of his reservations start later this month.

© Agence France-Presse