Thousands evacuate Santorini after earthquakes shake Greek island

Several tremors, measuring up to magnitude 4.7, were recorded north-east of Santorini early on Tuesday.

Though no major damage has been reported so far, emergency measures are being taken as a precaution.

Hundreds of people queued at a port in the early hours of Tuesday morning to board a ferry leaving for the mainland.

"Everything is closed. No-one works now. The whole island has emptied," an 18-year-old local resident told Reuters news agency before boarding the vessel.

In addition to 6,000 people who have left the island by ferry since Sunday, around 2,500 to 2,700 passengers will have flown from Santorini to Athens via plane on Monday and Tuesday, according to Aegean Airlines.

The carrier said it had added three emergency flights to its schedule, with space for hundreds of passengers, following a request from the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

Santorini is a small island with a population of just 15,500. It welcomes millions of tourists each year.

Kostas Sakavaras, a tour guide who has lived on Santorini for 18 years, left the island with his wife and children on Monday.

"We considered it's a better choice to come to the mainland as a precaution," he told BBC News.

"Nothing has been falling, or anything like that," he said, adding that the worst part had been the sound. "That's the most scary part of it," said Mr Sakavaras, who plans to return home once schools reopen.

Schools are scheduled to stay closed on the island until Friday. Authorities have also warned people to avoid certain areas of the island and empty their swimming pools.