Greek PM urges calm as emergency declared on Santorini island

During his visit to Santorini on Friday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged the residents to remain calm in the face of a series of earthquakes that had shaken the island since last week, reported Xinhua.

A state of emergency was declared on the island on Thursday to address urgent needs and manage the consequences of the seismic activity. The state of emergency will last until March.

"I again urge everyone to remain calm, follow the instructions of the civil protection service, and hope that (the seismic activity) will soon subside, allowing the island to return to normal life," Mitsotakis said.

The Laboratory of Seismology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) announced that more than 7,700 earthquakes had been recorded in the sea area between Santorini and Amorgos from Jan. 26 to Feb. 4.

Amid the unusually intense seismic activity, authorities have deployed experts and emergency teams to Santorini and nearby islands, setting up tent camps in open-air sports facilities. Schools have been closed, while more than 12,000 residents and visitors have left since Sunday. Those remaining have been advised to stay on high alert.

During the prime minister's visit, Greek seismologists reiterated that the ongoing seismic activity is tectonic rather than volcanic in nature. Santorini is part of the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, an active volcanic zone. However, no major volcanic disasters have occurred in modern history.