A series of earthquakes on Santorini has prompted thousands of people to leave the Greek tourist island since early February 2025. Against this backdrop, some social media users were sharing old, out-of-context images and wrongly linking them to the tremors on the island.

The strongest earthquake yet after days of near-constant tremors has been recorded near the island of Santorini, the famous Greek tourist haven now almost emptied of visitors and residents.

The hundreds of earthquakes that have rattled Greek islands on the Aegean Sea are a “seismic swarm" and could continue for weeks before eventually diminishing, the Santorini mayor told The Associated Press on Tuesday — pausing to chuckle as new tremors shook items on his desk.

More than 11,000 people have already left the island of Santorini following a series of tremors in recent days.

Greece has declared a state of emergency on Santorini after a series of earthquakes shook the popular tourist island this week and prompted more than 10,000 residents and workers to evacuate.

A state of emergency was declared in Santorini on Thursday as the Greek island braces for a potentially powerful earthquake after days of near-constant tremors. The declaration issued by the Greek Civil Protection Ministry allows authorities to mobilize heavy equipment and emergency personnel for an evacuation without bureaucratic delays.