ATHENS (AFP) – Schools on the Greek tourist island of Santorini will remain closed today after more than 200 small earthquakes shook the region, civil protection authorities announced.
The government ordered the move after a series of tremors in the sea around Santorini and surrounding islands, the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history.
Some 200 small earthquakes have been recorded, the strongest so far with a magnitude of 4.5, according to authorities.
Yesterday morning, quakes of magnitude 4.1 and 4.5 shook the region, according to the Department of Geophysics of the University of Athens.
Authorities said the quakes were triggered by tectonic rather than volcanic activity.
Greek authorities called for citizens to avoid large gatherings in enclosed spaces and stay away from certain ports of Santorini, derelict buildings and to empty swimming pools of their water. In case of a strong tremor, all citizens are called to get to high ground as far inland as possible.
The same measures are also taken for the neighbouring small islands like Amorgos.
It was also announced that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will hold a meeting to discuss the events.
Santorini is one of the most popular Greek islands for tourists. It has a population of just 15,500 but welcomed 3.4 million visitors in 2023, raising concerns about the phenomenon of overtourism.
