There, just hours after authorities declared a state of emergency, several more earthquakes struck around Greece’s Santorini island.
Tourist hotspots have been shaking this week with thousands of earthquakes recorded since Sunday.
On Thursday evening, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 20:16 local time (18:00 GMT) on the sea between Santorini and another island, Amorgos, followed by a 4.2 magnitude Quake about two hours later.
Santorini residents began their night patrol amid fears of looting the island.
More than 11,000 people have departed as authorities report earthquakes are recorded every minute.
Experts warn that it is unclear when this “earthquake crisis” period on the popular tourist island will end.
The earthquake on Thursday was not as severe as the 5.2 magnitude shock that occurred on Wednesday between the two Greek islands.
So far, no injuries have been reported and there have been no major damage to the island.
But authorities are preparing in case a bigger tremor hits. On Wednesday, they warned of the risk of landslides on parts of the island.
Size refers to the size of an earthquake, with an increase marked as a decimal point.
Magnitudes above 6.0 are considered severe, while the strongest 5.2 ever experienced in the region is considered moderate.
On Thursday, Greek officials said the island’s emergency would be in place for almost a month until March 3.
Greece is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in Europe. Seismicologists told the BBC it is difficult to predict how long the recent wave of seismic activity will last, and authorities have warned that it could last several weeks.
“It’s truly unprecedented and I’ve never seen anything like this in Greece (modern) days,” said Dr. Athanasios Ganas, research director at the National Astronomical Observatory of Athens.
He told the BBC: “We are in the midst of an earthquake crisis.”
Quakes’ “clusters” that began Friday have confusing scientists who say that such patterns are unusual as they are not linked to a major shock.
Dr. Ganas says he sees many earthquakes within a relatively small area, but that doesn’t fit after the main shock pattern and shock sequence.
Those remaining on the island fear the possibility of a tsunami. They built makeshift defenses from sacks placed along the island’s Monolithos Beach.
Greek Prime Minister Kiliakos Mitotakis, who is scheduled to visit Santorini on Friday, struck optimistic tone at a meeting of civil protection experts early on Wednesday.
“All plans are in place. The military has been moved to Santorini and other islands, so every unforeseen situation is ready,” he said.
He asked residents to “settle and work with the authorities.”
Santorini is located in what is known as the Greek volcanic arc, a chain of islands created by volcanoes, but the last major eruption was in the 1950s.
Greek authorities say the recent tremors are linked to tectonic plate movements rather than volcanic activity.
Scientists cannot predict the exact timing, size, or location of an earthquake.
