A rare geological phenomenon causing more than 500 earthquakes in the Aegean Sea has raised eyebrows in Athens, with scientists trying to understand what is really happening and politicians examining the economic impact on landmark tourist destinations.
Since last Sunday, successive earthquakes in the underwater area between the islands of Santorini and Amorgos – south of the Aegean Sea – have caused panic to the local population.
Thousands of people have already departed while all schools in the wider region have been shut down.
The case of Santorini is more sensitive considering that it has a volcano.
Scientists are divided over whether the rare phenomenon is linked to the volcano, while they don’t simultaneously rule out that a large-scale earthquake may follow.
Today, early in the morning, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 occurred, the strongest in the last three days.
Speaking from Brussels on the sidelines of the informal summit, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke about an “intense” geological phenomenon and called on islanders to remain calm and listen to the instructions of the civil protection authorities.
An extraordinary meeting between the government and scientists is scheduled for today.
The region hosts millions of tourists every year and significantly contributed the Mediterranean country’s GDP.
Only in 2023, Santorini – with a local population of 15,000 – welcomed more than three million tourists.
Local media report that international tour operators are closely following the developments, as this time of the year usually prepare the summer holidays packages for their clients.
(VP)