A new strong earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale occurred at 03:14 in the early hours of Wednesday between Santorini and Amorgos.
According to the Revised Solution of the Geodynamic Institute of Athens, the epicenter of the tremor was located in the sea area 24 kilometers South-Southwest of Arkesini, Amorgos.
The earthquake, which had a focal depth of 12,5 kilometers, was particularly felt in Santorini and Amorgos, as well as in Attica.
An hour later, a new earthquake measuring 4,6 on the Richter scale followed, 25 kilometers southwest of Amorgos with a focal depth of 14,2 km, as well as two aftershocks measuring 4,2 and 4 on the Richter scale a few minutes later.
Twenty minutes after the strong earthquake of magnitude 5, a new tremor of intensity 4 on the Richter scale followed with the same epicenter.
Seismic "marathon"
"It's a classic series of earthquakes that includes many small earthquakes or intermediate earthquakes. It's an unprecedented phenomenon that we're trying to understand, detect and see what's happening."
"We cannot determine which is the main earthquake. Usually, it must exceed the previous ones by at least half a degree to be distinguished as such. Here, we cannot say with certainty," emphasized the president of OASP, Efthimios Lekkas, speaking to ERTNews.
"The best scenario for all of us is for this swarm to continue and there to be no further development. What worries me most is if we see - and we don't see it now - if the epicenters of the earthquakes spread, which means that the fault area is even larger," said Professor of Natural Disasters, Konstantinos Synolakis.
The National Tsunami Warning Center of the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens has installed a tide gauge on the northeastern coast of Santorini just in case. At the same time, new seismographs are constantly being added for more complete recording.
While the two underwater seismographs retrieved from the Caldera will provide valuable data on the exact epicenter of the earthquakes, so that the scientific community can make more secure estimates of the course of the seismic sequence.
Employee support measures
The Ministry of Labor announced special measures to support workers and businesses in Santorini.
Businesses will have the option to suspend their employees' employment contracts for the period from February 1 to March 3, 2025. The regulation concerns employees hired up to January 31, 2025.
For those whose employment contract is suspended, a Special Purpose Compensation of 534 euros is provided (corresponds to 30 days).
Full insurance coverage on the nominal salary is also ensured, as well as the proportion of holiday gifts.
Businesses will submit a solemn declaration to the "ERGANI" Information System, while employees will then submit a declaration to supportemployees.services.gov.gr.
Anxiety of residents remaining in Santorini
Megalochori has more than 600 permanent residents, most of whom have left due to the difficult situation. The remaining residents have provided two meeting points in case of a major earthquake, but they hope it will not be necessary.
Mr. Yiannis Vailas, a father of 6 children, remains in Megalochori, experiencing constant anxiety for his family.
Residents of Amorgos are growing concerned
In Arkesini, Amorgos, 12 km from the epicenter of the earthquake, the insecurity of the residents of the area is constantly increasing.
Livestock farmers are observing changes in animal behavior due to the ongoing seismic activity.
A team of the Hellenic Red Cross with 5 rescuers and 2 social workers are at the island's Town Hall, in order to provide psychological support to the residents and provide assistance where needed.
As the residents of Amorgos say, they stay awake, while their greatest fear is that a major earthquake will strike them in their sleep.
Four PPC generators arrived on the island, while work on restoring and maintaining the network began yesterday.
The technical teams will remain on the island for as long as necessary and will inspect the entire length of the network.
Source: ertnews
