Santorini prepares for earthquake

Santorini, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, is enchanting with its white houses, blue domes and spectacular sunsets. It's famous for its caldera, a bowl-shaped volcanic crater, and was the site of one of the most violent eruptions in history 3,600 years ago. Now, thousands of residents are worried about their island due to a series of tremors.

More than 200 earthquakes have been recorded since Sunday. On Monday morning, a magnitude 4.9 quake shook the region between Santorini and the neighboring island of Anafi. Houses were damaged in Fira, a town on the island's west coast.

Tremors are causing landslides along the island's rocky cliff face, and concern is growing over their increase. Some residents of Santorini are spending their nights outdoors for fear of further tremors, sleeping in their cars or in places authorities have declared safe.

Many people can no longer stay on the island and are packing their belongings as a precaution to take the next ferry to Athens, Greece's capital. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on people to "remain calm" despite the "very strong" seismic activity. But many are finding this difficult, with tremors happening every few minutes.

Seismologists are monitoring the situation with concern. If the earthquakes were to activate the large underwater volcano Kolumbo, it could be devastating. The volcano, which lies just 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) northeast of Santorini, last rose above the water's surface in the middle of the 17th century and erupted. Many buildings were destroyed, and dozens of people died.

While thousands of people are leaving Santorini, disaster prevention crews have been ordered to the island. The military is also preparing for a possible relief operation. Authorities are asking residents to adhere to emergency plans and instructions.

There's been a massive rush for ferry and flight tickets. Airlines have arranged special flights, and additional ferries have also been scheduled. "I haven't slept for days, the children and women are crying, there is an earthquake every five minutes," a man who got a seat on the Blue Star ferry to Athens told reporters.

Firefighters have erected tents on a basketball court to accommodate fire rescue workers. No one can yet say how long this situation will last. Leaving the island is not easy, and residents feel like refugees in their own country. Disaster prevention is in full force and could be essential to saving lives.