Santorini reportedly hit by the 'strongest earthquake yet' as 'quake storm' continues to rumble the Greek island after state of emergency declared

Santorini has reportedly been deed by a 5.3 earthquake, which section media says is the strongest of hundreds of tremors hitting the Greek island. 

The earthquake happened astatine 22.16pm and had an epicentre 14km southwest of Arkesini, successful the oversea betwixt Santorini and Amorgos, Greek paper Kathimerini reports. 

Vasilis Karastathis, manager of the Geodynamic Institute, told the paper that this earthquake measured 5.3 connected the Richter scale.

But helium cautioned that it was not a 'major earthquake' and 'is nary antithetic from erstwhile beardown earthquakes of 5, 5.1 oregon 5.2 connected the Richter scale' arsenic much tremors are recorded connected Santorini.

A authorities of exigency was declared past week aft the Greek land experienced thousands of quakes that person been expanding successful spot and frequency. 

Eleven quakes with a magnitude of astatine slightest 4 were felt connected Saturday alone, and dozens much person been reported since.

Since February 1, much than 800 tremors with a magnitude of 3 and supra person been recorded, with experts saying a 'quake storm' was hitting the island. 

The antecedently considered strongest quake to deed the island, measuring 5.2, occurred past Wednesday and was adjacent felt successful Athens, Crete and parts of Turkey.

Greece sits connected aggregate responsibility lines and is 1 of Europe's astir earthquake-prone countries. 

More than 11,000 locals and holidaymakers person evacuated the island, with other flights scheduled.

The authorities of exigency is acceptable to enactment successful spot until March 3. Greek premier curate Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced £2.5million backing for an exigency evacuation way from the southbound of the land to beryllium built. 

'We are preparing for the worst portion hoping for the best,' helium told locals during his sojourn to the land connected Friday. 

Locals person been urged to enactment distant from ports and debar gathering indoors, arsenic exigency crews - including the army, occurrence service, and constabulary - person been deployed crossed the island. 

More than 11,000 radical person present fled Santorini arsenic the land remains gripped by the relentless earthquakes, with tremors present being recorded infinitesimal by minute.

Many who person stayed connected the land person been sleeping connected the thoroughfare with their mattresses, excessively frightened to enactment successful their homes successful lawsuit they collapse.

Other residents person built makeshift tsunami defences utilizing sandbags on Monolithos beach, wherever buildings beryllium dangerously adjacent to the water. 

Hotel owners were adjacent asked to drain their pools owed to concerns that overflowing h2o could destabilise buildings successful a quake. 

However, nary casualties oregon large harm person been reported truthful far.

Seismologists accidental the quakes are the effect of tectonic sheet movements, not volcanic activity, contempt Santorini sitting connected the Hellenic Volcanic Arc - a concatenation of islands formed by past eruptions. 

Experts person warned that the land is facing a 'seismic crisis' with nary wide extremity successful sight, raising fears of a larger, much destructive quake successful the days ahead.