Athens, 7 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Santorini on Friday and said his government is doing all that it can to protect residents on the island, following numerous earthquakes that continue to rock the region.

Seismologists warn that the small quakes at the tourist destination show no signs of stopping and could persist for weeks or months, with concerns that a magnitude 6 earthquake may strike before the activity subsides.

Between Jan. 26 and Feb. 4, a total of 7,700 earthquakes were registered, as reported by Greek radio, citing the Faculty of Geology at the University of Athens. The strongest quake in this series reached a magnitude of 5.1.

"I will not give any estimates as to whether major earthquakes are imminent," the prime minister said on Greek radio. "However, I advise everyone to remain calm."

Mitsotakis said it is up to the experts to say what people should do and how the series of earthquakes would continue. However, it is important to prepare and take precautions.

Prime minister visits emergency services

Before making his comments, Mitsotakis visited the emergency services on Santorini, including the fire brigade, ambulance service, police and health centres.

The Greek leader also met with the island's stakeholders, shopkeepers and businessmen and stressed that "it is our duty to protect Santorini's reputation as an iconic tourist destination."

Mitsotakis announced a meeting early next week with the relevant ministries to discuss specific measures to support entrepreneurship. He added that infrastructure issues on the island must also be addressed.

A large proportion of the island's inhabitants, mainly women, children and the elderly, have left Santorini and sought safety with relatives on the mainland.

Police officers and younger residents are patrolling to prevent possible break-ins in the abandoned houses, as shown by Greek media.

Schools have been closed on the islands in the region for days for security reasons.

Civil engineers are inspecting important buildings on the affected islands, the Ministry of Citizen Protection announced.