The initial tsunami warning has arrived – Videos on social media show the extent of the destruction
A very strong earthquake 7.3 on the Richter scale struck on Tuesday off the coast of Vanuatu islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
A tsunami warning was raised for the island nation less than two hours after the quake.
The quake struck at a depth of 57 kilometers and was centered 30 kilometers west of Port Vila, the largest city in Vanuatu, a cluster of 80 islands home to about 330,000 people.
After the quake there was a strong aftershock of magnitude 5.5 near the same place.
An eye witness said he saw bodies in the island capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila.
The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, as phone lines and government websites remained down and official channels were not updated, but reports of widespread damage began circulating on social media within hours of the quake.
A spokeswoman for the Red Cross in Fiji said officials on the ground reported significant damage.
A video released by the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation showed a crowd outside Vila’s main hospital seen carrying injured people on stretchers.
The police, hospital phones and other public services were disconnected.
A video posted on social media appeared to show collapsed buildings in Port Vila, including one that fell on top of cars. A spokesman for the Red Cross in Fiji said the head of the aid agency’s office in Vanuatu reported extensive damage before communications were cut.
A building housing several diplomatic missions in Port Vila – including those of the United States, Britain, France and New Zealand – suffered significant damage, New Zealand’s foreign ministry said.
The US embassy has announced that the country’s embassy in the islands of Vanuatu has been decided to remain closed “until further notice” as the building where it is hosted in Port Vila, the capital, has suffered “significant damage” due to the very strong earthquake that struck. the islands in the early hours of the morning.
According to an update from the US diplomatic mission in Papua New Guinea, “the US Embassy in Port Vila sustained significant damage and will remain closed until further notice.” She advised US citizens on the islands of Vanuatu to contact her if they “need assistance”.
Officials were in the process of registering New Zealand High Commission staff, a spokesman said.
Katie Greenwood, head of the regional office of the Red Cross Asia-Pacific Fiji, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the central area of Port Vila was full of large buildings and hotels.
AdvertisingAuthorities in Australia and New Zealand, both located in the Pacific Ocean, said there was no tsunami threat to their countries.
New Zealand’s foreign ministry said 45 New Zealanders were registered in Vanuatu. The ministry did not provide details of the national’s condition.