Emergency crews deployed on Santorini as an earthquake swarm worries Greek experts

Santorini, Greece (AP) – Schools were closed and the emergency crew on Monday, after a rise in seismic activity fears about an earthquake that is likely to be strong.

Reserves were also requested in many of the nearby islands – all famous summer holiday destinations – after recording more than 200 earthquakes under the surface of the sea in the region during the past three days.

“These measures are precautionary, and the authorities will remain vigilant,” said the Minister of Civil Protection, Vasilis Kikilas, late on Sunday after the Emergency Government meeting in Athens. “We urge citizens to strictly adhere to safety recommendations to reduce risks.”

While Greek experts say earthquakes, which reach 4.7, are not linked to the sleeping volcano asleep, they admit that seismic activity pattern is a cause of anxiety.

Fire service rescue teams with Sniffer dogs arrived on Sunday and created tents in open areas. Residents and visitors have been advised to avoid large interior gatherings, while hotels were directed to draining swimming pools to reduce the damage of possible buildings from the earthquake.

Santorini is a crescent shape, which is slightly larger than Manhattan, a leading tourist destination with daily expatriates through commercial flights, phrases and marine trips ships. The island attracts more than 3 million visitors annually to its white villages, which were built along the dramatic slopes formed by a huge volcanic eruption for more than 3500 years.

The prominent Greek earthquake, Gerasimus Papadubulus, warned that the current earthquake sequence – which is displayed on live earthquake maps as an increasing range of points between the Santorini, iOS, Amorgos, and Anafi – can indicate a greater close event.

“All scenarios are still open,” Babadubulus wrote in an online post. “The number of tremors has increased, sizes rose, and the northeast centers moved. While these tectonic earthquakes, not volcanic, the risk level may escalate.”

In the main town of Vera in Santorini, the local authorities have identified the population gathering points in preparation for a possible evacuation, although Mayor Nikos Zorzos stressed the preventive nature of measures.

We are obligated to make preparations. He said during a weekend briefing: “Preparing for something does not mean that it will happen.” “Sometimes, the way the situation is reported, these reports may contain an exaggeration … so people should remain calm.”