Santorini evacuates residents as government holds emergency earthquake meeting

Evacuations are underway on the Greek island of Santorini following a series of earthquakes over the weekend as authorities remain on alert for a more serious earthquake.

Fears that the tremors are a sign of an upcoming volcanic eruption have grown, although seismologist Dr Gerassimos Papadopoulos said that the quakes were “tectonic, not volcanic”.

From Saturday afternoon to Monday evening, 37 earthquakes exceeding magnitude 4 were recorded, although with dozens of small tremors. Two new monitoring stations have been installed to track the seismic activity closely.

“We are monitoring the situation closely, but at this stage, there is no reason to panic,” said Efthymios Lekkas, Greece’s leading seismologist.

He added: “While these earthquakes are concerning, they do not yet indicate any imminent volcanic eruption or catastrophic event,” local news site ekathimerini.com reports.

Authorities have implemented an evacuation plan, with residents and tourists moved to safe zones from the caldera, which is known for its volcanic activity. The evacuation plan for Santorini includes a full coordination effort, with local officials working to guide people safely to temporary shelters.

On Tuesday morning the government is holding an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

Lekkas added that the activity in Santorini’s caldera is not yet cause for alarm. “This type of seismic activity has been recorded in the past. However, we must remain prepared for the unpredictable nature of the region’s volcanic behaviour,” he noted.

On February 2, the UK Foreign Office issued a travel update for Greece following the tremors. Holidaymakers in the affected areas are urged to follow the advice of the local authorities.

The FCO said: “The