Authorities have declared a state of emergency on a second Greek island as a series of earthquakes continued to rattle the south-eastern Aegean Sea region.

A series of earthquakes near Santorini, Greece has prompted tourists to flee the area and the country to declare a state of emergency.

February marks the unofficial start of the tourist season in the Greek island of Santorini - when the first cruise ships are due to arrive and the Easter holidays approach. But with thousands of earthquakes shaking the island since January and experts unable to say when they will end,

Scientists have detected several thousand earthquakes, the vast majority of them with small magnitudes, in just over two weeks near Greece’s volcanic island of Santorini, the University of Athens’

The Greek island of Santorini was struck by the latest in a string of earthquakes Tuesday, this time a 4.8 temblor. The government said it will backstop the island destination's tourist industry.

Seismologists have noted that the epicentre of the earthquakes is steadily drifting northward in the direction of Amorgos.