Powerful earthquake hits near Santorini after days of tremors.
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A strong earthquake has struck between the Greek islands of Amorgos and Santorini, after days of consecutive tremors.
More than 11,000 people have already left Santorini, including about 7,000 by ferry and 4,000 by plane.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck at 9:09 pm local time (7:09 pm GMT) on Wednesday, making it the strongest in recent days. It is estimated to have struck at a depth of 5 km.
It was followed by a magnitude 4.7 earthquake southwest of Amorgos at 07:50 local time on Thursday, after 57 tremors were recorded between midnight and 06:30. So far, no major damage has been reported on the island, but authorities are taking precautions and preparing for a larger quake.
Vasilis Karastathis, director of the Geodynamics Institute, told ERTNews that "seismicity continues at the same pace as in previous days, intense."
"We have a fairly high number of earthquakes above magnitude 4," he said.
"However, we cannot say that we see evidence that would lead to the slow termination of a sequence." We are still halfway there. "We have not seen any clarity, any sign that the sequence is heading towards a retreat."
Santorini welcomes millions of tourists every year, but it is currently the low season, which means that local residents and workers make up the majority of evacuees. Map showing the Cyclades islands in Greece and the eight earthquakes of magnitude greater than 4.5 that have struck between the islands of Santorini, Ios, Amorgos, Anydros and Anafi in the past 24 hours.
Bad weather means that the ferry from Santorini to the port of Piraeus near Athens will not operate. The adverse conditions are expected to continue in the coming days.
Many travelers have been at the port of Santorini to board emergency ferry lines that have been set up as many families want to leave the island.
Schools on Santorini - and other nearby islands including Anafi, Paros, Naxos and Mykonos - will remain closed until Friday, when authorities will decide when they will reopen. The island has been reinforced by firefighters and medical personnel from Naxos, another island.
All hospital staff are ready to help those left on the island, with all holidays and vacation days canceled.
Ambulance units have also arrived to reinforce services on the island, and assistance from the armed forces is also expected.
According to the plan of the Ministry of Health, if there is an urgent need for personnel, the first thing that will happen will be the transfer of doctors and nurses from other islands. In case of increased needs on Santorini, doctors from Athens will also be sent to the island. A rescue telecommunications station has been set up in the municipality of Santorini, which will be activated in the event of a major earthquake and telecommunications problems.
Vassilis Kikilias, Minister of Climate and Civil Protection, said that fire units specialized in natural disasters have been sent to Santorini. Special dog teams and a mobile operations center have also been sent to the island, while helicopters are on standby in case of an emergency.
Kikilias also said that the coast guard and the armed forces will be available to help vulnerable people who want to evacuate.
Earlier on Wednesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed optimism at a meeting of civil protection experts. "The state trusts science and scientists, and we have done this in other crises as well," the prime minister said.
"All plans have been implemented. Forces have been deployed in Santorini and other islands, because we are ready for any eventuality," Mitsotakis said.
"Let's continue like this, in the hope that things will improve and the phenomenon will subside."
Mitsotakis concluded his statement by calling on islanders to "remain calm and cooperate with the authorities." "I understand the fear of being in Santorini, which is constantly shaking," he added, stressing that the situation will be assessed daily.
The Thira Chamber of Commerce has asked in a letter to government ministries that businesses on the island be suspended and emergency support measures be taken in line with those taken during Covid-19.
"The consequences for the local economy are incalculable, central markets are weakened and businesses are losing customers and revenue," the letter says.
"The island is deserted after 11,000 permanent residents left the island yesterday, this figure is expected to reach 14,000 by the end of this week."
"Therefore, given that the local economy has collapsed and the situation continues to deteriorate, we believe that, especially for Santorini, a state of emergency should be declared."
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Video: 'We can't take it anymore' - residents evacuate Santorini after days of tremors
Santorini lies in what is known as the Hellenic Volcanic Arc - a chain of islands created by volcanoes - but the last major eruption was in the 1950s.
Greek authorities have said the recent tremors have been linked to the movement of tectonic plates, not volcanic activity. Scientists cannot accurately predict the timing, size, or location of earthquakes.
But there are parts of the world where they are more likely to happen, which helps governments prepare.
Earthquakes are the result of the movement of tectonic plates in the Earth's crust. Sometimes these plates snap where they meet, called plate boundaries or fault lines.
Santorini and other Greek islands are located near such a line.
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