Israel Placed on Tsunami Alert

Experts are warning of an increased risk of a tsunami hitting the shores of Israel due to a surge in seismic activity at the eastern end of the Mediterranean.

In a meeting of government ministries and emergency agencies on Wednesday, the deputy head of the National Security Council emphasised the need for preparation. The likely timing and location of a major earthquake are extremely difficult to predict – some would say ‘impossible to predict’ – but the threat becomes higher during periods of significant seismic activity, such as experienced in Greece this week.

The Greek islands of Santorini, Amorgos, Anafi, and Ios have experienced hundreds of earthquakes, many occurring just minutes apart. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) says the strongest earlier this week recorded a magnitude of 5.1 on Monday.

But now the island of Santorini has been placed in a state of emergency after a magnitude 5.2 quake struck on Wednesday evening, with two substantial tremors following up on Thursday, both greater than 4.0 in magnitude.

This report by Sky News shows thousands of people fleeing the island.