GB News stars Patrick Christys and Emily Carver have reported from Crete after the Greek island was struck by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake early Thursday morning.
Emily Carver revealed she was woken by the tremor while her husband slept through it. "I tapped Patrick on the shoulder asking, 'is there an earthquake?', absolutely zero reaction. I assumed I was dreaming. I rolled over and went back to sleep," she told GB News viewers.
The pair are currently on the island where they experienced the seismic event firsthand.
The earthquake struck off the coast of Crete at approximately 8:49 AM local time on Thursday, according to the National Centre for Seismology. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) reported the tremor occurred at a depth of 77 kilometres.
Patrick Christys and Emily Carver spoke from Crete
GB NEWS
"At about 6:30am, there was a 6.1 magnitude earthquake, there have been a few aftershocks," Patrick Christys explained during their broadcast from the island.
The epicentre was located offshore near the popular tourist destination, with seismic monitoring agencies quickly assessing the situation.
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Patrick Christys and Emily Carver joined Andrew Pierce and Bev Turner on GB News
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Following the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued for the region. "This morning we checked the news and there was a tsunami warning," Emily said.
Patrick contacted their hotel reception to gather more information about the situation. "They told us that it's ok because the earthquake happened so deep underground they aren't expecting anything," he reported.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre confirmed that a tsunami threat was being assessed, with coastal residents advised to remain cautious and await further instructions.
Local authorities have implemented safety measures, with Patrick explaining: "They have a tsunami warning system in place which means if sirens go off, we leg it."
There was damage on the Crete islandThere was damage on the Crete islandDespite the emergency protocols, the GB News star noted the calm demeanour of residents. "Locals, I must say, just seem really unbothered about all of this. Reception told us everything is absolutely fine," he said.
The pair outlined their contingency plan: "If there is a tsunami, we are going to leg it up the hills. If there isn't, we will go back to the pool."
However, there are concerns about potential further seismic activity. "The concern is this could be a precursor to bigger earthquakes," Patrick warned, adding, "If there is a much bigger earthquake, that could have bigger consequences."
This tremor follows a similar 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck just a week ago near the island of Kasos, off Greece's southern coast.
Crete lies in one of Europe's most seismically active regions, situated along the Hellenic Arc where the African and Eurasian tectonic plates converge.
