Santorini earthquakes ‘could last for months’

There is ongoing seismic activity on the Greek island of Santorini. Photo / Getty Images

Greek Prime Minister announces $5.5m emergency evacuation fund as experts warn another major eruption could be on its way.

Earthquakes wreaking havoc on Santorini could last for months, seismologists have warned, as fears mount for tourist season on the Greek island.

Thousands of tremors have already forced more than 11,000 tourists, residents and workers to flee the picturesque island and prompted the Greek government to declare a state of emergency.

The “seismic swarm” started to increase in January, though the activity has intensified in recent days, culminating in a 5.2-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday that was felt in Athens, Crete and parts of Turkey hundreds of miles away.

Earthquakes wreaking havoc on Santorini could last for months, seismologists have warned. Photo / 123rf

Greece’s Cyclades islands, which are visited by millions of people each year, are set for more seismic activity in the coming days, and with tourist season on the horizon, experts suggest there is no end in sight.

Santorini, known for its whitewashed buildings perched atop steep cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, welcomed more than 3 million tourists last year.

Business owners say they are worried about the effect the earthquakes will have on their lucrative summer season.

Gerassimos Papadopoulos, head of the Greek Institute of Geodynamics, said it was likely the tremors would continue for “weeks or months” and warned it was possible Santorini could be hit by an even stronger earthquake.

“It is not easy to predict. This is the first time we are facing this situation,” Papadopoulos said.

“The most probable scenario is that this will continue for weeks or months. The other scenario is that there will be a large earthquake of mag 6 [magnitude 6] or more because of the existence of several large faults in the area, but this is less likely.”

Dr Athanassios Ganas, also from the institute, said the situation was unprecedented.

“The seismic swarm is continuing, there have been many small and medium earthquakes. This is the first time we are facing this situation,” he said, noting the government agency responsible for monitoring seismic activity had recorded thousands of quakes and tremors, with more than 140 earthquakes rattling the island in a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday last week.

Costas Papazachos, a seismology professor from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, also warned there was a strong possibility of a major quake after the string of recent tremors. Such a quake could cause widespread devastation on the island.

The larger earthquakes have caused rockfalls along coastal cliffs and damaged vulnerable buildings.

Authorities have warned of a high landslide risk in some areas and have closed schools, sent rescue teams and advised residents to avoid indoor gatherings and ports surrounded by sheer rock faces.

Army, fire service and police units have been deployed to the area and some measures have been extended to the nearby islands of Amorgos, Ios and Anafi.

‘If it gets worse, we will leave’

As thousands of residents, workers and tourists fled Santorini this week, hotel owners and others in the hospitality sector tried to play down the risk while admitting some tourists were having second thoughts.

“We had some cancellations, but not for summer,” said Dmitri Rotaru, who has been renting luxury villas to British and other foreigners for more than a decade. “People are not coming now because they want to wait.

For weeks, most of the earthquakes could barely be felt by residents in Santorini. Now, however, as many as 30 a day have measured over magnitude 4, most of them at less than 10km in depth, meaning they have been felt by those living or holidaying on the island.

“We are a little worried,” he said. “If it gets worse, we will leave.

More than 11,000 tourists, residents and workers have fled the picturesque island of Santorini. Photo / Getty Images

Nikos Sirigos, who was born in Santorini, runs a wedding planning business that offers romantic packages and ceremonies in some of the island’s most breathtaking locations. Many of his clients are American, British, Australian and Italian.

“We are used to this,” he said. “I remember in 1970 when I was 10 years old, they used to ring the church bells every day because it was the only way to let people know about the earthquakes. My mum used to say: ‘Go and hide under the table’.”

The tourist season generally runs from April to October and Sirigos said he had received no cancellations yet. But he said last year business was 30% down on 2023 and those who relied on tourism were concerned.

“We are worried. We don’t know what will happen,” he said. “Hopefully, we will know in the next few days.”

On a visit to Santorini on Friday, Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged the public to remain calm and follow the advice of the civil protection service.

“I want to assure the residents of Santorini and the neighbouring islands, which are being tested these days, that the state is on their side,” Mitsotakis said.

“We hope this phenomenon ends quickly and the island fully returns to its normal pace,” he said.

During his visit, Mitsotakis inspected emergency preparedness facilities and announced a €3 million ($5.5 million) funding package for constructing an emergency evacuation route on the southern part of the island.

“We are preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. That’s what a serious and organised state must do,” he said as he met local officials.

Greece, sitting on multiple fault lines, is one of Europe’s most earthquake-prone countries. It is located along the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, a chain of islands created by volcanoes.

Santorini, as it is recognised today, formed following the Minoan volcanic eruption of 1600BC, one of the largest in human history.

The Greek holiday hotspot is no stranger to earthquakes, though it has not seen a major event since July 9, 1956, when a 7.5-magnitude earthquake rocked the Cyclades, with Santorini and Amorgos the most affected islands. The earthquake triggered a tsunami, killing 53 people and injuring 100.