SANTORINI, Greece (AP) 鈥� More Greek islands closed schools Tuesday as hundreds of earthquakes ratted the Aegean Sea, while a handful of hardy tourists enjoyed having Santorini鈥檚 stunning views to themselves.
Thousands of residents and seasonal workers have left the Cycladic Islands as hundreds of quakes up to magnitude 5 were recorded in the volcanic region since Friday. Ferry and commercial flight operators added services to accommodate departures.
The quakes have caused cracks in some older building but no injuries have been reported so far. On Tuesday, schools were shut on 13 islands, up from four the previous day. Santorini earlier canceled public events, restricted travel to the island and banned construction work in certain areas.
Efthimios Lekkas, head of the state-run Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, said the epicenter of earthquakes in the Aegean Sea was moving northward away from Santorini, emphasizing that there was no connection to the area's dormant volcanoes.
鈥淭his may last several days or several weeks. We are not able to predict the evolution of the sequence in time,鈥� Lekkas told state-run television.
In Santorini鈥檚 main town, Fira, the narrow, whitewashed streets along the island鈥檚 clifftops were deserted 鈥� a rare sight even in the off season 鈥� except for small pockets of tour groups, many from Asian countries.
Joseph Liu, from Guangzhou in southern China, said he had wanted to visit Santorini for years after seeing it in a documentary. He joined family and tour group members on a balcony deck typically used for high-end wedding receptions.
鈥淭his place is amazing, really beautiful. Just like I saw in the program: the mystery, the scenery,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he (group) leader told us about the earthquakes before we came so it was not a surprise.鈥�
Retired police officer and ship worker Panagiotis Hatzigeorgiou, who has lived on Santorini for more than 30 years, said he has turned down offers to stay with relatives in Athens.
鈥淥lder residents are used to the earthquakes ... But it鈥檚 different this time. It鈥檚 not the same to have earthquakes every 2-3 minutes. The main thing is not to worry,鈥� he said, adding with a laugh: 鈥淣ow we can listen to music alone and have coffee by ourselves.鈥�
In Athens, government officials are continuing to hold daily high-level planning and assessment meetings with briefings from island officials.
Derek Gatopoulos, The Associated Press
