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Euronews
22-05-2025
- Euronews
Don't panic but be aware, experts urge after Greece earthquakes
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Crete on Thursday, just over a week after a similar undersea tremor near the island was felt as far away as Egypt. In February, a series of near-constant quakes were felt near the idyllic island of Santorini, which declared a state of emergency over the unusual seismic activity. Although the earthquake off Crete prompted authorities to issue a tsunami warning and caused damage to buildings in the island's historic port, experts say there is no evidence the recent cluster of tremors is connected or poses an unusually significant safety risk. Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, told Euronews that "everytime you go to Greece, you are going to a seismically active region." "The hazards are not significantly higher than they were yesterday, or in February." Nevertheless, tourists preparing a visit to islands in the Aegean should be prepared and read up on guidance on how best to protect themselves in the event of such tremors, which can be unsettling. "The most likely cause of injuries is falling objects if you are inside. So you have to protect yourself by going below a table and avoiding open areas when possible," Bossu says. "The earthquake of such magnitude itself does not automatically injure people, but tiles from roofs or balconies might do if they collapse. So you have to know how to behave during an earthquake and above all, listen to what authorities say." The tsunami warning is automatically triggered in the Mediterranean in the event of an undersea earthquake that reaches magnitude 6, Bossu explains. "Typically, for magnitude 6, you do not expect a large tsunami. For this level, what is advised is not to go into harbours because it can create a whirlpool and not go on the beach because you may have some rise in sea levels." Thursday's tremor was felt extensively throughout islands across the Aegean Sea and in parts of the Greek capital of Athens. Residents of the island told Greek daily Ethnos that they awoke to alarming tremors and described hearing a loud roar following the aftershocks. The fact that it occurred in the sea meant its damage however was ultimately minimal, director of the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, Vassilis Karastathis, told OPEN tv. "I think the most likely scenario is that it will evolve exactly as it seems to evolve with a very weak post-earthquake sequence, Karastathis said, adding that seismologists in the Mediterranean country were monitoring the phenomenon. More unusual was the earthquake near the volcanic island of Santorini in February, which experienced intense seismic activity known as an "earthquake swarm." According to Bossu, there was a clear volcanic element to the tremors. Thousands fled the popular holiday destination, which has since implemented measures to protect the location from a potential volcanic eruption. Seismologist, Dr Nikolaos Melis, Director of Research at the Institute of Geodynamics, part of the National Observatory of Athens told Euronews that despite the high number of earthquakes in a short time span, researchers have no reason to believe that Greece will experience a devastatingly large earthquake anytime soon. However such large earthquakes — such as one in Crete that killed one person in 2021 — are impossible to predict. Sitting close to the boundary of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates the Greek islands, particularly the western Ionian islands, are sites of high seismic activity and are typically well-prepared for the dangers of aftershocks. "For people who are not aware it can be frightening, and whilst it is not impossible for a big earthquake, most buildings and hotels follow a strict building code that protects them from damages," Melis says. "Greece has got the highest seismic activity in Europe and next to Turkey we have two countries with very high activity. But as I said, the big magnitudes, the catastrophic magnitudes, are very rare."
CNN
07-02-2025
- CNN
Biggest quake yet could be still to come on Greek tourist island, seismologist warns
The seismic activity rattling Santorini and other Greek islands is not over and the biggest quake yet could be still to come, a seismologist has warned. Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, said 'days, or perhaps, weeks' would be needed to evaluate the unusual tremors but said that the series of quakes typically occur in the build-up to a larger tremor. A state of emergency has been declared in the idyllic Greek island of Santorini amid a series of near-constant tremors in recent days, which have almost emptied the famous Greek tourist haven of visitors and residents. The largest tremor so far was recorded on Wednesday evening, when a quake with a magnitude of 5.2 coursed through the island. It was the first to exceed 5.0 since the tremors began last week. Sitting near the boundary of the massive African and Eurasian tectonic plates, Santorini often experiences seismic activity, but rarely so intensely for so long. As well as Santorini, the nearby islands of Amorgos and Ios have also been shaken. Bossu described the current seismic activity rocking Santorini – which is known as an 'earthquake swarm' – as 'very unusual.' Normally, he says, 'what you observe is a large earthquake followed by aftershocks which decrease with time in magnitude and frequency. 'Here, we observe a very different (phenomenon). We see that the magnitude has been increasing with time and the rate has been increasing, so this is not typical behavior,' he told CNN. Hundreds of the tremors, which have hit Santorini every few minutes for days, have had a magnitude of around 3.0 and are considered 'slight' quakes. At over 5.0, Wednesday's quake is considered 'moderate.' It was followed by at least five quakes with a magnitude of 4.0 and above, which are considered 'light.' According to Bossu, such behavior typically amounts to 'foreshock' activity – seismic activity that occurs before the main shock of the sequence – meaning that the largest earthquake could be yet to come. 'This is why the Greek authorities are taking precautionary measures,' he said, pointing to the organized evacuations and the readying of rescue forces. As the earthquakes continued, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a brief visit to the island on Friday morning to inspect emergency preparations. 'I want to assure the residents of Santorini and the neighbouring islands, which are being tested these days, that the state mechanism is on their side,' he said. 'We hope this phenomenon ends quickly and the island fully returns to its normal pace.' Greece's Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization has estimated that the intense seismic activity may continue for many more days, if not weeks. While not currently in peak season, the island of Santorini is a popular tourist hotspot, attracting more than 3.4 million tourists a year. It is also home to some 20,000 permanent residents. Around 11,000 people are thought to have fled the island so far due to the tremors. 'We are going to leave because I am afraid, there are constantly earthquakes, we have to leave for the kids, so the kids can calm down,' Beni Ouklala, 38, who has temporary work on Santorini, told Reuters. Tourist boat captian Eftichis Diamantopouulos, 63, was less concerned. 'Why should we leave?' she questioned. 'If something happens, it happens.' Greek authorities have arranged additional flights to help people flee to the safety of the mainland, but evacuation efforts were complicated on Wednesday, with ferries not allowed to leave the ports due to high winds. Normal service had resumed by Thursday. The earthquake sequences are not located beneath the island of Santorini, but rather between Santorini and another island called Amorgos. They are occurring about 25 kilometers northeast of Santorini, and 20-25 kilometers southwest of Amorgos, according to Bossu. At that distance they are felt in Santorini. 'Of course, when you have such a large number of earthquakes felt by the population, it raises anxiety,' Bossu said. 'The people in the area are very concerned… And it is logical because nobody can tell how it evolves.' He added, 'We have to wait at least days, or perhaps, weeks, to evaluate how it may evolve.' The region last suffered a major earthquake in 1956, when a tremor with a magnitude of 7.7 struck to the south of the island of Amorgos, followed minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Santorini. This caused significant damage to both islands and also triggered a 25-meter-high (around 80 feet) tsunami. In total, 53 people were killed during these events, and a further 100 were injured. CNN's Chris Liakos and Christian Edwards contributed reporting.
CNN
07-02-2025
- CNN
Biggest quake yet could be still to come on Greek tourist island, seismologist warns
The seismic activity rattling Santorini and other Greek islands is not over and the biggest quake yet could be still to come, a seismologist has warned. Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, said 'days, or perhaps, weeks' would be needed to evaluate the unusual tremors but said that the series of quakes typically occur in the build-up to a larger tremor. A state of emergency has been declared in the idyllic Greek island of Santorini amid a series of near-constant tremors in recent days, which have almost emptied the famous Greek tourist haven of visitors and residents. The largest tremor so far was recorded on Wednesday evening, when a quake with a magnitude of 5.2 coursed through the island. It was the first to exceed 5.0 since the tremors began last week. Sitting near the boundary of the massive African and Eurasian tectonic plates, Santorini often experiences seismic activity, but rarely so intensely for so long. As well as Santorini, the nearby islands of Amorgos and Ios have also been shaken. Bossu described the current seismic activity rocking Santorini – which is known as an 'earthquake swarm' – as 'very unusual.' Normally, he says, 'what you observe is a large earthquake followed by aftershocks which decrease with time in magnitude and frequency. 'Here, we observe a very different (phenomenon). We see that the magnitude has been increasing with time and the rate has been increasing, so this is not typical behavior,' he told CNN. Hundreds of the tremors, which have hit Santorini every few minutes for days, have had a magnitude of around 3.0 and are considered 'slight' quakes. At over 5.0, Wednesday's quake is considered 'moderate.' It was followed by at least five quakes with a magnitude of 4.0 and above, which are considered 'light.' According to Bossu, such behavior typically amounts to 'foreshock' activity – seismic activity that occurs before the main shock of the sequence – meaning that the largest earthquake could be yet to come. 'This is why the Greek authorities are taking precautionary measures,' he said, pointing to the organized evacuations and the readying of rescue forces. As the earthquakes continued, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a brief visit to the island on Friday morning to inspect emergency preparations. 'I want to assure the residents of Santorini and the neighbouring islands, which are being tested these days, that the state mechanism is on their side,' he said. 'We hope this phenomenon ends quickly and the island fully returns to its normal pace.' Greece's Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization has estimated that the intense seismic activity may continue for many more days, if not weeks. While not currently in peak season, the island of Santorini is a popular tourist hotspot, attracting more than 3.4 million tourists a year. It is also home to some 20,000 permanent residents. Around 11,000 people are thought to have fled the island so far due to the tremors. 'We are going to leave because I am afraid, there are constantly earthquakes, we have to leave for the kids, so the kids can calm down,' Beni Ouklala, 38, who has temporary work on Santorini, told Reuters. Tourist boat captian Eftichis Diamantopouulos, 63, was less concerned. 'Why should we leave?' she questioned. 'If something happens, it happens.' Greek authorities have arranged additional flights to help people flee to the safety of the mainland, but evacuation efforts were complicated on Wednesday, with ferries not allowed to leave the ports due to high winds. Normal service had resumed by Thursday. The earthquake sequences are not located beneath the island of Santorini, but rather between Santorini and another island called Amorgos. They are occurring about 25 kilometers northeast of Santorini, and 20-25 kilometers southwest of Amorgos, according to Bossu. At that distance they are felt in Santorini. 'Of course, when you have such a large number of earthquakes felt by the population, it raises anxiety,' Bossu said. 'The people in the area are very concerned… And it is logical because nobody can tell how it evolves.' He added, 'We have to wait at least days, or perhaps, weeks, to evaluate how it may evolve.' The region last suffered a major earthquake in 1956, when a tremor with a magnitude of 7.7 struck to the south of the island of Amorgos, followed minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Santorini. This caused significant damage to both islands and also triggered a 25-meter-high (around 80 feet) tsunami. In total, 53 people were killed during these events, and a further 100 were injured. CNN's Chris Liakos and Christian Edwards contributed reporting.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Biggest quake yet could be still to come on Greek tourist island, seismologist warns
The seismic activity rattling Santorini and other Greek islands is not over and the biggest quake yet could be still to come, a seismologist has warned. Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, said 'days, or perhaps, weeks' would be needed to evaluate the unusual tremors but said that the series of quakes typically occur in the build-up to a larger tremor. A state of emergency has been declared in the idyllic Greek island of Santorini amid a series of near-constant tremors in recent days, which have almost emptied the famous Greek tourist haven of visitors and residents. The largest tremor so far was recorded on Wednesday evening, when a quake with a magnitude of 5.2 coursed through the island. It was the first to exceed 5.0 since the tremors began last week. Sitting near the boundary of the massive African and Eurasian tectonic plates, Santorini often experiences seismic activity, but rarely so intensely for so long. As well as Santorini, the nearby islands of Amorgos and Ios have also been shaken. Bossu described the current seismic activity rocking Santorini – which is known as an 'earthquake swarm' – as 'very unusual.' Normally, he says, 'what you observe is a large earthquake followed by aftershocks which decrease with time in magnitude and frequency. 'Here, we observe a very different (phenomenon). We see that the magnitude has been increasing with time and the rate has been increasing, so this is not typical behavior,' he told CNN. Hundreds of the tremors, which have hit Santorini every few minutes for days, have had a magnitude of around 3.0 and are considered 'slight' quakes. At over 5.0, Wednesday's quake is considered 'moderate.' It was followed by at least five quakes with a magnitude of 4.0 and above, which are considered 'light.' According to Bossu, such behavior typically amounts to 'foreshock' activity – seismic activity that occurs before the main shock of the sequence – meaning that the largest earthquake could be yet to come. 'This is why the Greek authorities are taking precautionary measures,' he said, pointing to the organized evacuations and the readying of rescue forces. As the earthquakes continued, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a brief visit to the island on Friday morning to inspect emergency preparations. 'I want to assure the residents of Santorini and the neighbouring islands, which are being tested these days, that the state mechanism is on their side,' he said. 'We hope this phenomenon ends quickly and the island fully returns to its normal pace.' Greece's Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization has estimated that the intense seismic activity may continue for many more days, if not weeks. While not currently in peak season, the island of Santorini is a popular tourist hotspot, attracting more than 3.4 million tourists a year. It is also home to some 20,000 permanent residents. Around 11,000 people are thought to have fled the island so far due to the tremors. 'We are going to leave because I am afraid, there are constantly earthquakes, we have to leave for the kids, so the kids can calm down,' Beni Ouklala, 38, who has temporary work on Santorini, told Reuters. Tourist boat captian Eftichis Diamantopouulos, 63, was less concerned. 'Why should we leave?' she questioned. 'If something happens, it happens.' Greek authorities have arranged additional flights to help people flee to the safety of the mainland, but evacuation efforts were complicated on Wednesday, with ferries not allowed to leave the ports due to high winds. Normal service had resumed by Thursday. The earthquake sequences are not located beneath the island of Santorini, but rather between Santorini and another island called Amorgos. They are occurring about 25 kilometers northeast of Santorini, and 20-25 kilometers southwest of Amorgos, according to Bossu. At that distance they are felt in Santorini. 'Of course, when you have such a large number of earthquakes felt by the population, it raises anxiety,' Bossu said. 'The people in the area are very concerned… And it is logical because nobody can tell how it evolves.' He added, 'We have to wait at least days, or perhaps, weeks, to evaluate how it may evolve.' The region last suffered a major earthquake in 1956, when a tremor with a magnitude of 7.7 struck to the south of the island of Amorgos, followed minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Santorini. This caused significant damage to both islands and also triggered a 25-meter-high (around 80 feet) tsunami. In total, 53 people were killed during these events, and a further 100 were injured. CNN's Chris Liakos and Christian Edwards contributed reporting.
CNN
07-02-2025
- CNN
Biggest quake yet could be still to come on Greek tourist island, seismologist warns
The seismic activity rattling Santorini and other Greek islands is not over and the biggest quake yet could be still to come, a seismologist has warned. Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, said 'days, or perhaps, weeks' would be needed to evaluate the unusual tremors but said that the series of quakes typically occur in the build-up to a larger tremor. A state of emergency has been declared in the idyllic Greek island of Santorini amid a series of near-constant tremors in recent days, which have almost emptied the famous Greek tourist haven of visitors and residents. The largest tremor so far was recorded on Wednesday evening, when a quake with a magnitude of 5.2 coursed through the island. It was the first to exceed 5.0 since the tremors began last week. Sitting near the boundary of the massive African and Eurasian tectonic plates, Santorini often experiences seismic activity, but rarely so intensely for so long. As well as Santorini, the nearby islands of Amorgos and Ios have also been shaken. Bossu described the current seismic activity rocking Santorini – which is known as an 'earthquake swarm' – as 'very unusual.' Normally, he says, 'what you observe is a large earthquake followed by aftershocks which decrease with time in magnitude and frequency. 'Here, we observe a very different (phenomenon). We see that the magnitude has been increasing with time and the rate has been increasing, so this is not typical behavior,' he told CNN. Hundreds of the tremors, which have hit Santorini every few minutes for days, have had a magnitude of around 3.0 and are considered 'slight' quakes. At over 5.0, Wednesday's quake is considered 'moderate.' It was followed by at least five quakes with a magnitude of 4.0 and above, which are considered 'light.' According to Bossu, such behavior typically amounts to 'foreshock' activity – seismic activity that occurs before the main shock of the sequence – meaning that the largest earthquake could be yet to come. 'This is why the Greek authorities are taking precautionary measures,' he said, pointing to the organized evacuations and the readying of rescue forces. As the earthquakes continued, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a brief visit to the island on Friday morning to inspect emergency preparations. 'I want to assure the residents of Santorini and the neighbouring islands, which are being tested these days, that the state mechanism is on their side,' he said. 'We hope this phenomenon ends quickly and the island fully returns to its normal pace.' Greece's Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization has estimated that the intense seismic activity may continue for many more days, if not weeks. While not currently in peak season, the island of Santorini is a popular tourist hotspot, attracting more than 3.4 million tourists a year. It is also home to some 20,000 permanent residents. Around 11,000 people are thought to have fled the island so far due to the tremors. 'We are going to leave because I am afraid, there are constantly earthquakes, we have to leave for the kids, so the kids can calm down,' Beni Ouklala, 38, who has temporary work on Santorini, told Reuters. Tourist boat captian Eftichis Diamantopouulos, 63, was less concerned. 'Why should we leave?' she questioned. 'If something happens, it happens.' Greek authorities have arranged additional flights to help people flee to the safety of the mainland, but evacuation efforts were complicated on Wednesday, with ferries not allowed to leave the ports due to high winds. Normal service had resumed by Thursday. The earthquake sequences are not located beneath the island of Santorini, but rather between Santorini and another island called Amorgos. They are occurring about 25 kilometers northeast of Santorini, and 20-25 kilometers southwest of Amorgos, according to Bossu. At that distance they are felt in Santorini. 'Of course, when you have such a large number of earthquakes felt by the population, it raises anxiety,' Bossu said. 'The people in the area are very concerned… And it is logical because nobody can tell how it evolves.' He added, 'We have to wait at least days, or perhaps, weeks, to evaluate how it may evolve.' The region last suffered a major earthquake in 1956, when a tremor with a magnitude of 7.7 struck to the south of the island of Amorgos, followed minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Santorini. This caused significant damage to both islands and also triggered a 25-meter-high (around 80 feet) tsunami. In total, 53 people were killed during these events, and a further 100 were injured. CNN's Chris Liakos and Christian Edwards contributed reporting.
