Santorini preparing evacuation plans after island rocked by earthquakes

Santorini, a Greek holiday island, is experiencing its fourth consecutive day of earthquakes, prompting school closures and evacuation flights. Furthermore, emergency crews have been deployed.

The Aegean island has recorded over 200 undersea earthquakes recently, leading officials to advise against large gatherings and access to certain areas. Hotels have been instructed to drain swimming pools to prevent damage.

“We have a very intense geological phenomenon to handle,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said from Brussels, where he was attending a European meeting. “I want to ask our islanders first and foremost to remain calm, to listen to the instructions of the Civil Protection (authority).”

Local residents are mostly accustomed to quakes, but tourists are fleeing. Michalis Gerontakis, a resident, said, “I have never felt anything like this and with such frequency.” Experts warn that seismic activity may persist for weeks. Aegean Airlines is adding flights for those wishing to leave the island.