Hundreds of people flee Santorini after repeated earthquakes rock the island
Hundreds of people fled Santorini by ferry and plane on Tuesday to reach the safety of Athens as a series of earthquakes continued to shake the popular Greek tourist island.
Hundreds of earthquakes have been recorded every few minutes in the sea between the volcanic islands of Santorini and Amorgos, in the Aegean Sea, in recent days, prompting authorities to close schools on Santorini and the nearby small islands of Ios, Amorgos and Anafi until Friday.
A 4.9 magnitude tremor was recorded by the Athens Geodynamic Institute at 0246 GMT on the island, most of whose famous blue and white villages cling to steep cliffs above the sea.
Hundreds of permanent residents and workers rushed to a port early Tuesday to head towards the Greek capital.
Flights from Santorini to Athens were full, Greek carrier Aegean Airlines said on Tuesday. A total of 2,500 to 2,700 people were expected to have flown since Monday by the end of the day, it added.
"We are going to leave because I am afraid, there are constant earthquakes, we have to leave for the children, so that the children can calm down," said Beni Ouklala, 38, who has a temporary job on the island.
Others were unperturbed. "We're going to stay here, why should we leave? If something happens, it happens," said Eftichis Diamantopouulos, 63, a cruise ship captain.
Santorini is packed with hundreds of thousands of tourists during the summer. It's much quieter at this time of year, but with seismologists estimating that intense seismic activity could take days or weeks to subside, local authorities have drawn up an emergency accommodation plan.
"We have (planned) places for shelter for the population without structures and on level ground, there are eight places that can accommodate people," said Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos.
Emergency rescue teams were also on the scene, while people were advised to stay out of coastal areas due to the risk of landslides and to avoid gathering indoors.
Some hotels began emptying their swimming pools after being told that the water load made the buildings vulnerable and construction activities have ceased.
Greece is one of the countries most affected by earthquakes in Europe, as it is located on the border of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, the constant interaction of which causes frequent earthquakes.
Santorini took its current form after one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, around 1600 BC. The last eruption in the area occurred in 1950.
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