
Santorini Mayor: Recent Earthquakes Are Part of a 'Seismic Cluster' That Could Last for Weeks

Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos has said that the hundreds of earthquakes that have hit the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea are part of a "seismic swarm" and could continue for weeks before subsiding.
"Earthquakes can occur with small tremors or a slightly stronger earthquake, followed by a gradual decrease in activity," Zorzos said, citing seismologists who describe this phenomenon as a series of tremors of similar magnitude, occurring in clusters.
Strict security measures on the island
Emergency teams have been deployed to Santorini after hundreds of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 3.0 to 4.9 have been recorded between Santorini and the island of Amorgos since Saturday.
Authorities have deployed rescuers with sniffer dogs and drones, while a staging area has been set up for emergencies on a basketball court near the island's hospital.
Emergency alerts have been sent to mobile phones, warning citizens to avoid areas at risk of landslides and prohibiting entry to some coastal areas.
Due to the danger, hundreds of people have left the island, while schools in Santorini, Anafi, Amorgos and Ios will remain closed for the entire week.
Precautionary measures have also been put in place on other Aegean islands, known for summer tourism, after more than 200 underwater earthquakes were recorded in the area over the past three days.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis: The situation is serious, but citizens must remain calm
The Greek government is monitoring the situation carefully, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, from Brussels where he was attending a European meeting, called on the island's residents to follow the authorities' instructions.
"We are facing a very intense geological phenomenon. I would like to ask citizens to remain calm and follow the instructions of the Civil Protection," Mitsotakis said.
Meanwhile, Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias stressed that the measures are entirely precautionary and authorities will remain vigilant. “We call on citizens to strictly adhere to safety recommendations to minimize any risk,” he said after an emergency government meeting in Athens.
Is this seismic activity related to the Santorini volcano?
Greek experts have insisted that the earthquakes are not linked to the Santorini volcano, although they admit that their pattern is worrying. The island lies along the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, which includes the Nea Kameni and Kolumbo volcanoes.
However, according to seismologist Efthymios Lekkas, major volcanic eruptions in this area occur every 20,000 years and the last eruption occurred 3,000 years ago, suggesting that such an event is not expected anytime soon.
In the meantime, authorities will continue to monitor the situation and take additional measures if necessary.
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