Thousands flee Santorini as hundreds of earthquakes rattle deserted Greek island

Hundreds of earthquakes reaching up to a magnitude of five have struck the Aegean Sea

Thousands are fleeing the island of Santorini by ferry as hundreds of earthquakes rattle the Aegean Sea.

Often overwhelmed with crowds of holidaymakers, a number of tourists have seized the opportunity to enjoy the idyllic Greek island to themselves as residents and seasonal workers escape to the mainland.

Hundreds of quakes reaching up to magnitude five have been recorded in the volcanic region, with schools forced to shut on 13 islands, public events cancelled and travel to the island restricted.

Tourists carry their luggage as they leave the village of Fira (REUTERS)

More than 9,000 people have fled the islands in the past 24 hours, according to Greek outlet Athens Voice, as ferry and commercial flight operators add services to cope with the high demand.

Dramatic footage on social media appears to show plumes of dust rising following landslides on steep ridges, on top of which picturesque white-painted towns perch.

A social media user who knows people on the island told The Independent that things are “calm” in Santorini, adding that local people are “following the advice of the local authorities”.

Fira, Santorini’s main town, is deserted and eerily quiet barring the small tour groups - many of which are from Asia - who have braved the conditions to take advantage of the deserted island.

Joseph Liu, from Guangzhou in southern China, is on the island with his family after wanting to visit for years.

"This place is amazing, really beautiful. Just like I saw in the program: the mystery, the scenery," he said. "The (group) leader told us about the earthquakes before we came so it was not a surprise."

Dori, an 18-year-old local resident boarding a ferry to Athens, told Reuters: "Everything is closed. No one works now. The whole island has emptied. We will go to Athens until we see how things develop here."

The epicentre of the earthquakes - which are not connected to the area’s dormant volcanoes - is moving northward away from Santorini, head of the state-run Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation Efthimios Lekkas told the Associated Press.

Emergency crews have stationed themselves on the island amid the increase in seismic activity (REUTERS)

"This may last several days or several weeks. We are not able to predict the evolution of the sequence in time," Lekkas said on Greek television.

It could be days or weeks before the seismic activity settles, with residents advised to stay away from coastal areas due to the risk of landslides, seismologists say.

Hotels have begun emptying their pools after being warned that water loads made their buildings more vulnerable.

Sitting at the boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, Greece is one of Europe’s most earthquake-prone countries.

Santorini was famously victim to one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history in around 1600 BC - but has not experienced an eruption since 1950.

Additional reporting by agencies