At least 14 people were killed and hundreds more injured after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu on Tuesday, causing widespread damage in the South Pacific island nation. Rescuers worked throughout the night trying to free some of the people trapped under the rubble.
The Red Cross released the death toll early Wednesday, based on government sources. Extensive damage to the communications network and other infrastructure prevented the publication of official reports. Telephone service was still interrupted.
The earthquake occurred shortly before 1 pm at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles) and with an epicenter 30 kilometers west of Port Vila, the largest city in Vanuatu, an archipelago of 80 islands that has about 330,000 inhabitants. Authorities canceled a tsunami warning less than two hours after the earthquake, which was followed by several significant aftershocks.
More than 200 people were injured, Katie Greenwood, director of the Pacific office of the Red Cross based in Fiji, said in a post on social network X. The country’s main hospital was damaged and the water supply was disrupted, said he.
The UN humanitarian office said access to the airport and port was “severely limited due to damage to roads,” which could hamper aid distribution efforts.
The authorities asked the population to stay away from the coasts for at least 24 hours, and until the tsunami and earthquake monitoring systems are in place again.
People trapped under rubble
Videos circulating on social media showed some of the rescue efforts carried out during the night with the aim of reaching people still trapped in buildings, including a collapsed three-story structure.
Amanda Laithwaite said her husband is one of the rescuers involved in the search for eight people who could be heard screaming in the rubble. He added that rescue efforts are progressing slowly.
Three people were pulled alive from the rubble overnight, her husband, Michael Thompson, wrote on Facebook. In one of the videos he shared you see a woman covered in dust lying on a stretcher. Civilian and military personnel work on the falls with tools and shovels, Thompson said.
The country cannot afford to deal with an event with a large number of victims, said journalist Dan McGarry The Associated Press. He visited Vila Central Hospital, where a video broadcast by the Vanuatu Broadcasting Corporation showed a crowd outside.
Doctors are working “as quickly as possible” in a triage center outside the emergency room, he said.
Embassies damaged
A building housing a number of diplomatic missions in Port Vila – including those of the United States, United Kingdom, France and New Zealand – was significantly damaged.
The US Embassy Facebook page indicated that all staff were safe, but the building will remain closed until further notice. The office was opened last July as part of the United States’ efforts to expand its presence in the Pacific Ocean and counter China’s influence in the region.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the authorities know the whereabouts of all but two of the Embassy staff. Australia’s foreign ministry said its workers were safe.
A damaged building is seen in Port Vila, Vanuatu, after a powerful earthquake on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
All flights cancelled
McGarry said a “massive landslide” at the international shipping terminal would likely hamper the recovery. The airport runway was also damaged, he said.
Several airlines in Australia and the Pacific have reported that flights scheduled for Wednesday have been canceled or suspended and are awaiting word on airport status.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told X that her government was “preparing to deploy immediate assistance to Vanuatu starting tomorrow, including sending urban search and rescue teams and emergency medical teams.”
Vanuatu’s location in a subduction zone – where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate is sliding under the Pacific Plate – means that earthquakes greater than magnitude 6 are somewhat common, so the country’s buildings are designed to withstand seismic damage.
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