Greeks on their feet; Urgent meeting called; Everyone is in a panic

Residents and tourists are worried, given that earthquakes happen quite often, with the last three having a magnitude greater than four on the Richter scale, the last of which was 4.3 last Saturday.

A wider meeting regarding this issue will be held today in the administration building of Chalkidiki, in Poligyros, with the presence of the president of the Organization for Seismic Planning and Protection (OASP) and Professor of Geology Efthimios Lekas.

The meeting will be attended by local officials and managers from the administration of Chalkidiki, and although it is emphasized that it is a regular session of the coordinating body, it is certain that the continuous seismic series has hampered its maintenance.

In a statement to "Voria.gr", Professor Lekas ​​stated that this meeting is considered a "standard procedure" which coincides with his presence in the north of Greece. However, he emphasized that "of course, the issues related to the recent seismic series will also be discussed".

Seismologists are carefully monitoring the phenomenon and do not rule out the possibility that it is a series of earthquakes, however, what worries them is that their frequency and magnitude are not decreasing.

According to information reported by the Greek media, the cleft on the western coast of Mount Athos has been activated, and in recent days there have been various estimates about its length. Initially, there were reports of a cleft length of four to five kilometers, however, research of the area, earthquakes and a series of other data, lead to the conclusion that the cleft is larger and is close to 10 kilometers, which worried the experts.

This cleft is located on the west coast of Mount Athos on the way from Ouranoupolis to Daphne, in the sea area between the second and third finger of Chalkidiki. The recent earthquakes were especially felt on Mount Athos, and residents and tourists in Ouranoupolis, Jerisos, Nea Roda and other areas of the Municipality of Aristotle were quite upset.

Earthquakes were also felt in Sithonia. The mayor of the municipality, Aristotle Stelios Vallianos, said in an interview with Voria.gr that, although such meetings are held regularly, now there is an "additional reason", referring to the seismic activities that have become frequent in recent years and cause concern.

He added that the meeting will primarily discuss "the level of preparedness of the municipality and the region in case of a stronger earthquake, as well as places for evacuation and gathering of residents in such a scenario."

The fault near Larisa is also worrying

Athanassios Ganas, director of research at the Geological Institute of the National Observatory in Athens, warned of the danger of a possible earthquake in the Larissa area due to another 11-kilometer fault that passes through the city.

The fault line running through Larissa, which spans at least 11 kilometres, poses a threat of an earthquake exceeding 6.0 on the Richter scale.

“We have mapped a fault in Larissa that is at least 11 kilometers long, capable of producing an earthquake of more than 6.0 Richter, possibly up to 6.2,” Ganas told ERT Larissa. He emphasized the need for increased attention to nearby faults extending east to Platykambos and north to Girtoni and Rodia.

He also criticized the city authorities for allowing the construction of high-rise buildings in the area where the fault was mapped.

"How is it possible for the competent authorities to issue permits for ten-story buildings? I consider it criminal not only for Larissa, but also for Volos and all cities in Thessaly. Our cities are built on or near faults and there must be evacuation and escape plans. No multi-storied buildings can be piled up inside populated areas. This is a big mistake and it must be stopped. I warn of the danger," Ganas said.