A powerful earthquake struck just before 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday, with its epicenter located roughly 10 miles south of Fry, Greece, the United States Geological Survey reported.
In response, Greek authorities swiftly issued a public alert urging residents to “move away from the coast immediately” due to a potential tsunami threat.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage following the quake, which occurred at a depth of nearly 50 miles beneath the Earth’s surface.
Earlier this year, in February, a state of emergency was declared on Santorini and the neighboring islands of Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi after a surge in undersea seismic activity.
Tremors were being felt as frequently as every few minutes during that period.
The persistent earthquakes drove thousands of locals and seasonal workers to relocate to the Greek mainland. As a precaution, schools on the affected islands were shut down for several weeks.
From January 26 to February 22, authorities recorded over 20,000 tremors with magnitudes of 1.0 or higher in the vicinity of Santorini, a volcanic island.
Experts linked the intense seismic swarm to both tectonic activity and the movement of magma beneath the ocean floor. While some of those earlier quakes reached magnitudes as high as 5.3, they caused only minor damage.
