Rodopi Region has 243 temporary earthquake assembly points — 63 in Komotini

The Regional Unit of Rodopi has designated a total of 243 temporary earthquake assembly points, as recorded on the national emergency planning platform mySafetyPlan. Of these, 63 are located within the city of Komotini, while the rest are distributed across various settlements throughout the region.

The platform, active for several months now, allows municipalities to list official safe gathering points for use during emergencies such as earthquakes, wildfires, or floods. However, concern has recently arisen among residents of Alexandroupoli, where no such points currently appear on the map. The municipality responded by clarifying that although they have updated and approved civil protection plans, delays in publishing the data on the platform are responsible for the current absence of listings.

In Rodopi, the situation appears more organized, particularly in Komotini, where most assembly locations have been publicly accessible online for several years. The number of sites per settlement varies depending on the size and layout of each area—for example, Iasmos and Xylagani each have four assembly points, while Sapes has six.

Despite this progress, challenges remain, especially in Komotini's northern and eastern neighborhoods, where irregular urban planning and narrow streets limit both the availability of open spaces and evacuation routes.

Experts also point out a general lack of public awareness: most citizens do not know the location of their nearest assembly point, and in an actual emergency, they may not have the time or means to search online. Furthermore, many of these locations lack physical signage, making them difficult to identify in a crisis.

Officials urge the public to familiarize themselves in advance with their nearest safe zones to be prepared for any potential emergency.

Source: paratiritis-news.gr