Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged islanders on the Greek island of Santorini to “stay calm” after an increase in seismic activity in recent days.
His remarks come as schools were told to close on Monday and authorities advised against “large gatherings in enclosed spaces” across the island, which is a popular tourist destination known for its whitewashed buildings and blue domed churches.
More than 280 earthquakes were recorded across Greek islands in the past 48 hours, according to the University of Athens’ Seismological Laboratory.
Tremors of up to 4.9 in magnitude were recorded north-east of the island on Monday, while recent days have seen quakes of 4.3 and 3.9 magnitude reported nearby.
Speaking from EU talks in Brussels, the prime minister said the country is working to manage “a very intense geological phenomenon”, adding that he has asked the authorities to provide a “comprehensive presentation” of the geological data, to ensure everyone knows the scale of this seismic event.
Mitsotakis’s remarks come as many people in Santorini spent Sunday night outdoors, amid fears of potential damages to buildings during the quakes.
Some focal points of the tremors have been recorded at a depth of just 2km (1.2miles) below the surface.
Local media report other residents have left the island by sea or air while the seismic activity is ongoing.
Santorini is on what is known as the Hellenic Volcanic Arc – a chain of volcanic islands created by plate tectonics – but the last major eruption was in the 1950s.
Greek authorities said that the recent minor earthquakes were related to tectonic plate movements instead of volcanic activity.
The tremors are being caused by the Aegean sea plate subducting beneath the African plate, causing resistance and friction to build up along the fault line.
When the plate shifts, energy is released in the form of an earthquake.
Earthquakes are very common in this region, but authorities say activity in the Santorini caldera – the volcanic basin the island sits around – remains in decline.
A volcanic earthquake occurs when volcanic eruptions move magma and fluids towards the Earth’s surface, this in turn leads to the movement of tectonic plates, which can be felt on the surface as earthquakes or tremors.
The tremors recorded by geologists are considered minor or light, but authorities have recommended a number of preventative measures in addition to the school closures, including asking ships to avoid the ports of Ammoudi and Fira.
Big cruise ships often anchor near the Old Port of Fira, with passengers being brought to shore on smaller boats.
Schools were also told to close on the nearby islands of Anafi, Ios and Amorgos.
On Sunday, Mitostakis chaired an emergency meeting at Maximos Palace with the head of Greece’s earthquake planning and protection organisation (OSAP), Efthimios Lekkas, and the minister of civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias.
Following the meeting to discuss the continuous earthquakes in the area between Santorini and Amorgos, Kikilias said the government remains alert and asked the people in affected islands to follow instructions issued by the authorities.
People were advised to avoid abandoned buildings and travelling on routes where landslides are likely to occur.
While the recent tremors are thought to be unlikely to be a precursor to an eruption, the possibility of a stronger eruption cannot be ruled out.
Kostas Papazachos, a professor of geophysics at Thessaloniki Aristotle University, told public broadcaster ERT that the precautionary measures were “precisely to limit the impact of a stronger earthquake”, as quakes cannot be predicted.
He added: “When you have a sequence next to you that is so vivid, so intense, you have to be a bit careful, precisely because there is always the risk of something like that happening.”
Earthquakes are measured on a scale called the Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw). This has replaced the better known Richter scale, now considered outdated and less accurate.
The number attributed to an earthquake represents a combination of the distance the fault line has moved and the force that moved it .
A tremor of 2.5 or less usually cannot be felt, but can be detected by instruments. Quakes of up to five are felt and cause minor damage.
Prof Papazachos said that were a minor earthquake to occur while people were gathered in large crowds, it could create panic that may lead to people being injured.
The South Aegean Regional Fire Department has been placed on general alert and rescue teams as well as the regional commander have been dispatched to Santorini.
Though the island has a population of around 15,500, it welcomes millions of tourists each year. The UK Foreign Office updated its advice to British tourists on Sunday reiterating the recent measures and instructing visitors to follow guidance from local officials.
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