Greek government to build escape port on earthquake-hit Santorini

Greece will set up an emergency escape port on Santorini to ensure people can safely leave the island should a larger earthquake strike, Report informs via the Independent.

The popular Aegean Sea tourist destination has experienced tens of thousands of minor tremors since late January, prompting authorities to implement precautionary measures, including construction bans, school closures, and evacuations from nearby islands.

While no significant damage has been reported on the island, scientists describe the seismic activity as unprecedented, even for earthquake-prone Greece, and have not ruled out the possibility of more powerful tremors.

Concerns have been raised about the vulnerability of Santorini's main ferry port, situated at the base of a steep slope, and other locations on the island.

Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced the plan to construct the evacuation port, which will facilitate the safe docking of passenger ferries, as a temporary measure until new port infrastructure is completed.

Although the tremors lessened over the weekend, local authorities extended emergency measures for a third week on Sunday and reiterated calls for people to stay away from coastal areas and steep hillsides prone to landslides.

Santorini took its current shape following one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, around 1600 BC.

Seismologists have said the latest seismic activity, the result of moving tectonic plates and magma, has pushed subsurface layers of the island upwards.