On Monday, the authorities in Greece closed schools and deployed emergency services on Santorini Island, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, after the region shook hundreds of simple and moderate earthquakes.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Civil Protection said that more than 200 tremors had hit the Aegean region between Santorini and Amegra for the past 48 hours. They continued until Monday, and the inhabitants sometimes shook every few minutes. Reserves have also been taken in many other islands affected by tremors, with schools and emergency teams closed in preparation.
GERASIMOS Papadopoulos wrote the earthquake world, on Facebook that earthquakes were increasing in size, describing them as “an intense pre -Isi sequence.”
Prime Minister Kiriacos Mitsotakis, speaking from Brussels, appealed to a meeting of the leaders of the European Union, to “Al -Jazeera” to “calm and follow -up orders for civil protection.”
Most of the tremors were simple, but some exceeded 4.5, and Mr. Babadopoulos referred to 4.7 and 4.9 readings on Facebook.
There were no reports of injuries, and only minimal damage, including minor landslides, were recorded by the authorities. Greece is located on multiple rift lines and is often shaken by earthquakes, but such a sequence of tremors that grow in a less common intensity.
On Sunday, the Greek Earthquake Organization advised the inhabitants of the island to avoid large gatherings in closed areas, and to stay away from the ports near the slopes and empty swimming pools to reduce the potential damage of the buildings. Emergency workers created tents in external sports places, and local authorities assigned meeting points for potential evacuation.
Vasilis Kikilas said on Sunday that the measures were precautionary.
The extent of this danger was not clear, as some experts canceled the possibility of a major earthquake and confirm that seismic activity was not linked to a sleeping volcano on Santorini.
Evithimius Likas, director of the earthquake planning organization, said on Monday that the chances of a larger and more harmful earthquake were “very small, and this is the extremist scenario.” In reference to the possibility of the outbreak of Santorini, he said: “The volcano may wake up, but there is no way to explode.” Mr. Likas said on Saturday that the volcano produced very large revolutions every 20,000 years.
The last time has happened more than 3500 years ago, as the unique Caldira was formed by Santorini, multicolored beaches and rock configurations, which attract more than three million visitors annually. Since then, the region has not witnessed a slight eruption, in 1950, which has not caused any victims.
It was the last major earthquake for the island in 1956, when it killed a series of 7 to 7.7 53 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.
Since then, no major tremors occurred, although a series of smaller earthquakes also occurred during 14 months in 2011 and 2012, with this density shaken. Similar measures have been taken for those who put this round time, according to local officials.
In an interview with Volcano TV, a local station said, on Sunday, the mayor of Santorini, Nikos Zorzos, that the current precautionary measures, with emergency vehicles on the island roads, “may be excessive.” But he told National TV on Monday that expert committees’ instructions should be followed.
Reports also indicate that thousands of people were looking to leave the island. However, Mr. Zorzos said, “There is no mass migration, some people choose to leave.”
On Monday, Greek television showed dozens of cars awaiting in the main port of Santorini, while Airlines said it added three additional flights from the island on Monday and Tuesday.
Mr. Zorzos was scheduled in Athens on Monday to open the annual tourist campaign of the island, an event that was canceled on Sunday evening.
The influence on tourism on the island was unclear, although the British Foreign Ministry included official warnings on the Internet Travel warning For Greece.