The Foreign Office has issue a warning to holidaymakers planning to travel to the Greek islands after seismic activity was detected.
Recent earthquake activity was found in holiday hot spot Santorini and Amorgos sparking a warning to travellers planning to visit these areas. So far there are believed to have been hundreds of tremors recorded on the islands.
According to Greek Media, an earthquake is believed to have struck at 12:16pm on Saturday, February 1, registering a magnitude of 3.9 on the Richter scale. The tremor occurred 25 km north-northwest of Anafi, with a focal depth of 15 km.
Since the earthquake, minor tremors have been recorded ranging between 2 and 3 on the Richter scale.
After the first earthquake, another one occurred quake with a 3.1 magnitude was recorded 18 km south-southeast of Arkesini, Amorgos, as reported by the Express.
Earlier on Saturday morning, weak tremors were reported within minutes of each other in Amorgos and Santorini.
Santorini Volcano was also the site of one of largest volcanic eruptions in human history, which took place in the Bronze Age around 1620 BC, destroying a large part of the island and giving Santorini its current shape.
The eruption is believed to have contributed to the decline of the ancient Minoan civilization which had flourished in the region.
Although it is still an active volcano, the last notable eruption occurred in 1950.
As a result of the recent increased seismic activity authorities have shut down schools, dispatched rescue teams with sniffer dogs and sent instructions to residents – including a request to drain their swimming pools. Island residents have been advised to avoid large open-air events and to move about the islands mindful of rockfalls.
The Foreign Office alert reads: “The Greek Ministry of Civil Protection has issued advice for Santorini (Thira), Anafi, Ios and Amorgos, following increased seismic activity in the area. Schools will remain closed on Monday 3 February 2025. People are advised not to attend large indoors gatherings and to avoid old or abandoned buildings. The Greek Ministry advises people to avoid the ports of Amoudi, Armeni, Korfos and Old Port (Paleos Limenas) in the area of Fira and to choose safe routes when travelling, particularly in areas where the landslide risk is high. In case of a strong tremor, people should immediately depart coastal areas.”
Speaking to state broadcaster ERT today, seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos assured the public that there is no cause for alarm.
He said: “There have indeed been many earthquakes, especially over the past week. Since early January, but particularly this past week, we have recorded over 150 to 200 tremors.
“Only a few have occurred directly on the island of Santorini. Most of them are located northeast, about 10 to 30 kilometers away.”
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