Where is Santorini located in Greece - as month-long state of emergency declared on popular holiday island after earthquakes
Greece has declared an month-long state of emergency on Santorini after a series of earthquakes have rocked the popular holiday island.
Since January 31, a series of undersea tremors have been recorded between Santorini and the neighbouring islands of Amorgos, Anafi, and Ios. The strongest- a 5.2-magnitude quake struck on Wednesday night (5 February).
On Thursday evening (6 February), a 4.6 magnitude quake was recorded at 20:16 local time in the sea between Santorini and Amorgos, followed by a 4.2 magnitude quake roughly two hours later. The near-constant tremors have left residents and tourists terrified, with authorities shutting schools, cordoning off cliff-top towns, and warning of landslides.
Locals have been urged to stay away from ports and avoid gathering indoors, as emergency crews - including the army, fire service, and police - have been deployed across the island. The emergency measures will remain in place until at least March 3, allowing Greece's climate crisis and civil protection ministry to coordinate its response to the ongoing seismic activity.
More than 11,000 people have now fled Santorini as the island remains gripped by the relentless earthquakes, with tremors now being recorded minute by minute. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is set to visit Santorini today (Friday 7 February), has called for calm while reassuring residents that authorities are ready to respond.
“All emergency plans have been implemented. Forces have been deployed to Santorini and the surrounding islands so we are ready for any eventuality,” he said. Seismologists say the quakes are the result of tectonic plate movements, not volcanic activity, despite Santorini sitting on the Hellenic Volcanic Arc - a chain of islands formed by ancient eruptions.
Where is Santorini?
Santorini is located in the southern Aegean Sea, in the Cyclades group of islands in Greece. It's the southernmost island in the Cyclades.
To get to Santorini you can either fly into Santorini's National Airport, which is located near Monolithos, take a ferry from Piraeus (the port of Athens) or take a direct flight from Mykonos, Rhodes, or Heraklion in Crete during the summer season. Santorini lies between the Greek islands of Ios and Anafi. It is located approximately 128 nautical miles southeast of the Greek mainland and about 63 nautical miles north of Crete, the largest Greek island.