ATHENS, Greece (AP) 鈥� Greece鈥檚 government declared a state of emergency on on Thursday after hundreds of undersea earthquakes shook the resort island for nearly a week.
The ministry of civil protection鈥檚 announcement will provide authorities faster access to state resources. It follows a magnitude 5.2 tremor 鈥�- the most powerful recorded since activity started on Jan. 31 鈥�- that struck late Wednesday.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis confirmed that multiple emergency services were already mobilized to support the island.
鈥淔ire departments, police, coast guard, armed forces, and emergency medical services have immediately reinforced Santorini and surrounding islands with additional personnel and specialized equipment,鈥� he told reporters.
Despite causing minimal damage, the earthquake swarm has of thousands of residents and seasonal workers, mostly evacuating to the Greek mainland by ferry.
Experts say the is unrelated to volcanic activity in the Aegean Sea.
The Associated Press
