Quakes Send Tourists Fleeing From Santorini By Ferry
A series of small earthquakes in and around the resort island of Santorini has prompted thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate, creating delays at ferry terminals.
Up to 200 tremors a day have shaken the Cyclades over the past several days. A 4.9 magnitude quake was recorded over the weekend, followed by hundreds of smaller quakes in the Aegean, with an epicenter located between Santorini and Amorgos.
As of Tuesday, about 6,000 people had left the island, creating long lines at the pier for ferries to safety. On Wednesday, ferry operations were delayed by rough weather, creating further slowdowns. Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said that a naval landing craft and a coast guard cutter had been deployed to the area if needed to assist with evacuation.
An intense earthquake swarm is rattling the island of Santorini, Greece, leading to evacuations. Earlier today, a M5.1 earthquake joined this swarm — the strongest so far. pic.twitter.com/YYJfWv7aSQ
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) February 3, 2025
VIDEO — Hundreds of citizens evacuated from Greek island of Santorini due to increased seismic activity in Aegean Sea arrived by ferry at port of Piraeus late Monday pic.twitter.com/zVH1aUAVkK
— Daily Sabah (@DailySabah) February 4, 2025
"Nobody was expecting this to happen, what is happening now on the island is incredible," resident Julian Sinanaj told Reuters.
Santorini is next to the junction between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates, and tremors occur with some frequency. In 1956, a magnitude 7.5 quake killed more than 50 people and damaged infrastructure across the island.
The island is a remnant of a volcanic caldera, which last erupted with force about 3,600 years ago. The quakes are not expected to affect volcanic activity, according to Greek authorities.
The cluster's epicenter has been drifting northwards, and according to Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos, this time the tremors are expected to continue at a low magnitude for weeks, then gradually peter out.
Top image: Oia, Santorini (Mstyslav Chernov / CC BY SA 3.0)
