Santorini, one of Greece’s most popular tourist destinations, has been shaken by a series of powerful submarine earthquakes during the past week, which leads to the Greek government to declare an emergency state on Thursday. The last tremor, which measures 5.2 on the Richter scale, attacked Wednesday night, marking the most intense earthquake since the seismic activity began on January 31. The Government’s emergency declaration aims to facilitate a faster response to providing the authorities with faster access to state resources.
Pavlos Kidakis, a government spokesman, confirmed that emergency services have mobilized to help the island and surrounding areas. “Fire departments, police, coast guards, armed forces and emergency medical services have been reinforced with additional personnel and specialized equipment,” said Marinakis.
Although tremors have caused minimal structural damage, the current seismic activity has led to generalized fear between residents and tourists. Thousands have been evacuated, and many choose to flee to the Greek continent through Ferries. The municipal authorities have cordoned off certain areas in the cities of the island, which are vulnerable to possible rock landslides. The teams have also inspected school buildings, which have remained closed since the earthquakes began.
Seismologists have declared that tremors are not related to volcanic activity in the Aegean Sea, although they have not yet ruled out the possibility of a stronger earthquake. Vassilis K. Karastathis, director of Research of the National Observatory of Athens, emphasized that there is no clear indication that the seismic activity is decreasing. “We have not seen any sign that it is directed towards a regression,” he said.
Given this uncertainty, the Orthodox Church of Santorini has asked residents to support each other during these difficult times. The Metropolitan Bishop Amphilochios de Thira urged the islanders to maintain their communal spirit and face the current crisis. Despite the challenges, the community hopes that they recover and rebuild over time and effort.
(PTI inputs)
By
