Emergency declared on a second Greek island as a string of earthquakes persists

Authorities have declared a state of emergency on a second Greek island as a series of earthquakes continued to rattle the south-eastern Aegean Sea region

ATHENS, Greece -- Authorities declared a state of emergency on a second Greek island Wednesday as a series of earthquakes continued to rattle the south-eastern Aegean Sea region.

The emergency measure announced on the island of Amorgos follows a similar decision for nearby Santorini on Feb. 7 after thousands of unusual tremors were registered in an undersea area near the two islands, as well as the islands of Ios and Anafi – all popular tourist destinations.

Scientists had expressed hope the seismic swarm could be easing up, but a string of earthquakes around magnitude 5 has renewed concern. Seismologists have also noted that the epicenter of the earthquakes is steadily drifting northward in the direction of Amorgos.

The emergency declaration will facilitate rapid deployment of resources and emergency services. The region has already seen a significant mobilization of fire departments, police, coast guard, and armed forces mostly on Santorini where thousands of residents and seasonal workers have left the island.

Overall, about 12,000 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 1 have been registered since Jan. 26, the University of Athens’ crisis management committee said earlier.

Although Greece lies in a highly seismically active part of the world and earthquakes are frequent, it is very rare for any part of the country to experience such an intense barrage of earthquakes for such an extended period.