The head of Greece's Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation (OASP), Professor Efthymios Lekkas, is due to visit the village of Voutes in Heraklion, Crete on Sunday to examine large rifts that have appeared in the area's roads and buildings over the last 24 hours, due to subsidence.
Heraklion Mayor Alexis Kalokairinos inspected the damage on Sunday morning and contacted Lekkas, who is due to arrive later on Sunday and inspect the phenomena for himself, early on Monday morning. The cracks have appeared in both roads and buildings over an area of about 150 metres in length, with Kalokairinos describing the phenomenon as "ongoing" and indicating that he intends to ask for a state of emergency to be declared in the village.
Local residents expressed concern, with the mayor saying that the first priority was to call in experts to assess the situation and ensure that there was no danger for the village and those living there. He noted that such experts must come from Athens and called for the assistance of the infrastructure, environment and civil protection ministries to help in this direction.
Lekkas, who also chairs OASP's standing committee for assessing and reducing earthquake risk, is due on the island in order to determine the cause of the extensive subsidence, whether this is likely spread to neighbouring areas and to take immediate measures in response. According to an announcement by the climate crisis and civil protection ministry, the declaration of a state of emergency in the area will also be considered.