Eyewitness reports from Santorini "I'm afraid for my life"

The earth has been shaking in Santorini for days. The streets are deserted, the stores are closed. Marcus has lived on the island for seven years and tells blue News what the mood is like on Santorini at the moment.

The Greek island of Santorini has been hit by a series of earthquakes for days. Thousands of people have already left the island. A state of emergency was declared on Wednesday.

"To be honest, I was fine until last night," Marcus tells blue News. The 33-year-old has lived on Santorini for seven years and is originally from Albania. He runs several Airbnbs on the island.

"I thought it was just small earthquakes, I wasn't scared. But it got worse last night. There have been stronger tremors every three to five minutes," he says in a shaky voice.

On Wednesday night, at around 4 a.m., Marcus finally leaves his home. He flees to an area where he is safer. "I only slept for two hours that night," he says.

Completely empty streets

Marcus documents the current situation on his TikTok channel (@bojkaheker). You can see empty streets there. Restaurants, bars, bakeries and supermarkets are closed. "Most of the residents and workers have already left the island," he tells blue News.

Only a few locals and a few tourists have stayed. The mood reminds him of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While many, like Marcus, find the situation threatening, some locals are more relaxed. "There are locals who have lived here all their lives, they're not afraid," he says. "Yesterday I saw a woman sending a journalist away and shouting that there was nothing to see here. They say that because they want the tourists back."

Great uncertainty

Marcus also remains. "Where am I supposed to go? This is my home. I've lived here for seven years." However, the emergency kit is already packed and ready. "If it gets worse, I'll leave tomorrow. Then I'll go to Athens to stay with some relatives."

There are no official instructions from the authorities to stay in the houses. "They have put up signs indicating the places where you shouldn't go," he explains. In some cases, entire areas such as smaller ports have been completely closed off. The police are also much more present.

But the uncertainty is a burden: "I'm afraid for my life, for the other people who are still on the island and for my work. This is my only source of income. No tourists means no more jobs for me," says Marcus. "Let's hope it passes soon and everything is back to normal."