Massive Landslide Crashes Into Santorini Village, Months After Quake Evacuations

On August 20th, 2025, a horrifying scene unfolded on the Greek island of Santorini as a massive landslide crashed into the sea, engulfing the clifftop village of Imerovigli in a thick cloud of dust. The terrifying incident occurred just six months after the paradisal island was shaken by over 20,000 earthquakes between January 26 and February 22 earlier this year.

The country had declared a month-long state of emergency at the time, as the relentless seismic activity caused around 11,000 residents - more than half of Santorini's population - to flee the island. Now, the combination of recent earthquakes and ongoing overdevelopment appears to have contributed to the latest disaster.

According to local experts, Santorini's vulnerable geology and the pressure of unchecked construction have made the island prone to landslides. The stretch of land that collapsed was under particular stress due to the building of a new structure. Seismologists say the quakes were the result of tectonic plate movements, not volcanic activity, but the island's steep slopes, high seismicity, and fragile rock composition have created a precarious situation.

As Santorini continues to grapple with the aftermath of these twin natural and man-made crises, the island's future as a tourist destination hangs in the balance. Authorities will need to address the underlying issues of overdevelopment and seismic vulnerability to prevent further disasters from unfolding on this once-idyllic Greek island.