Two-Thirds of Residents Leave Due to Earthquakes
Police Step Up Patrols to Prevent Theft
The world-renowned tourist destination Santorini Island in Greece has been plagued by strong earthquakes for two consecutive weeks. Due to the ongoing tremors, the majority of residents have left the island, and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Greece has also urged caution when traveling. On the 6th, Greece's public broadcaster ERT reported that more than 10,000 residents of Santorini Island have evacuated to the mainland. It is estimated that about 16,000 people live on Santorini Island, and over 70% of them have left the island by boat and air travel. Santorini port was reported to be crowded with people trying to escape to Athens due to the earthquakes.
The world-famous tourist destination, Santorini Island in Greece, has been suffering from strong earthquakes for two consecutive weeks. Due to the ongoing earthquakes, the majority of residents have left the island, and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Greece has also urged caution when traveling. AFP·Yonhap News
On the 3rd, the strongest earthquake so far, measuring magnitude 5.0, occurred, heightening the sense of crisis. All schools on Santorini Island were ordered to close, and currently, restaurants and shops are also not operating. The Greek government has instructed the police and fire departments to remain on alert and has placed a special disaster response unit on standby. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Greece stated in a notice, "Recent earthquakes have been continuously occurring on Santorini Island and nearby waters," and added, "We ask our nationals staying on Santorini to pay close attention to their personal safety." They further said, "Please consider the possibility of damage caused by ongoing aftershocks or new strong earthquakes when traveling." According to the embassy's announcement, more than 500 earthquakes have occurred in the waters near Santorini from the 23rd of last month to the 3rd of this month. Among them, 20 earthquakes were magnitude 4 or higher, and 180 were magnitude 3 or higher. The Korean Embassy in Greece also posted on its website the previous day, urging, "Our nationals staying on Santorini are advised to be cautious about their personal safety."
The Greek authorities have issued school closure orders until the 7th for five islands including Santorini, Anafi, Ios, and Amorgos, and have imposed access restrictions on parts of Santorini Island. Santorini Island is part of the Hellenic volcanic caldera, an active volcanic zone. Over the past 400,000 years, Santorini has experienced more than 100 volcanic eruptions. The most recent major earthquake on Santorini was a magnitude 7.5 quake on July 9, 1956, which caused a tsunami.
Tourist Visits Plummet Due to the Earthquake Crisis
Santorini, famous for its blue sea and white houses, is a world-renowned tourist destination visited by more than 3.4 million tourists annually. However, due to the recent earthquake, tourist visits have come to a complete halt. Photo by EPA and Yonhap News.
Famous for its blue sea and white houses, Santorini attracts more than 3.4 million tourists annually, making it a world-class tourist destination. However, due to the current earthquake crisis, tourist visits have sharply declined. As earthquakes continue to occur in Santorini, travel bookings have been increasingly canceled, affecting the travel industry. On this day, Yonhap News reported that some travel agencies changed itineraries to alternative destinations for Greece travel packages that included visits to Santorini and informed their customers accordingly. The British daily The Guardian conveyed the local atmosphere, describing the streets and alleys of Santorini as eerily empty.
Meanwhile, the police have stepped up patrols to prevent looting and theft crimes. The Civil Protection Department has increased emergency rescue services in Santorini and other areas affected by the earthquakes. Firefighters and rescue workers have been deployed on site with detection dogs, and power company staff are preparing to operate large generators in case of power outages following the earthquakes.
Seismologists are making various predictions about the future developments. They explain that if a strong earthquake of about magnitude 6 occurs once, the accumulated stress in the earth's crust will be released, and thereafter, earthquakes may gradually subside and the situation stabilize. However, there are warnings that if a strong earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher occurs, a tsunami could cause severe human and material damage. Additionally, earthquakes may continue for weeks or months, and in the worst case, could stimulate the volcano on Santorini Island, leading to an eruption.
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