A series of at least 200 earthquakes has been occurring over three days on the Greek island of Santorini, a globally renowned tourist destination, starting from the 31st, local time. The tremors have prompted residents to evacuate in lines due to growing unease.
White houses tightly packed on slopes, the blue sea, and the refreshing beauty make the Greek island of Santorini captivating. However, residents are in the process of fleeing.
Santorini and nearby islands experienced over 200 detected earthquakes from the 31st of last month over three days, with the largest magnitude reaching 4.6. The tremors have been intense enough to cause houses to shake and windows to break.
Local resident Gianni Lignos reported, “In recent days, earthquakes have occurred almost every five minutes without pause. The entire island is gripped with fear. I tried to find tickets for boats or flights for three days but couldn’t get any.”
A significant number of Santorini’s 15,000 residents have been spending the night outdoors. Given Santorini’s location across multiple fault lines, Greek authorities have decided to increase the number of flights and boat services to help evacuate residents. In response, countries like the UK and France have issued travel warnings.