Santorini rocked by strongest earthquake yet after thousands evacuate holiday island - The popular tourist island has been rocked by hundreds of small tremors in recent days

Santorini has been hit by a powerful, shallow 5.3 magnitude earthquake, which is the strongest to strike the Greek island during recent seismic activity in the area. The tremors were felt in Athens on Monday evening and measured a focal depth of 17km (10.6 miles).

On Monday, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck in the sea area between Santorini and Amorgos in the Cyclades. This seismic event, noted as the strongest in recent weeks, resulted in no casualties or damage reported. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the sea area 14 kilometers south-southwest of Amorgos.

The Greek island has a long history of earthquakes, but what is causing the recent series of quakes has scientists perplexed.

Residents of neighbouring Amorgos remain on high alert after Monday's tremors, which followed a moderate 5.0 magnitude earthquake between the islands on Sunday evening. The area has been rocked by seismic activity for the last two weeks,

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook the Greek Aegean islands on Sunday, beginning another week of what geologists are calling an extended earthquake swarm that has sent tourists and residents fleeing.

A state of emergency has been declred in Santorini, a volcanic island and popular tourist destination in Greece, as an 'earthquake swarm' that began earlier this month continues. Since 31 January, more than 800 tremors with a magnitude of three and above have been recorded.