A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu on Tuesday, causing severe destruction in the capital city of Port Vila, including the collapse of a building housing foreign embassies.
According to the AFP, witnesses reported casualties and significant damage as rescue operations began amidst widespread chaos.
The quake hit at 12:47 p.m. local time (0147 GMT), at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles), about 30 kilometers off Efate, Vanuatu’s main island, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Michael Thompson, a Port Vila resident and local business operator, described scenes of devastation.
“The ground floor of the building where the US and French embassies are located has been completely crushed under the upper floors,” he told AFP via satellite phone. “If there were people in there at the time, they didn’t make it.”
Thompson, who witnessed the aftermath, recounted the grim sight of “bodies in the streets” as he walked through the city. “A landslide on one of the main roads buried a bus, so it’s clear there have been fatalities there too,” he added.
Video footage shared and verified by AFP revealed rescue teams working on buildings damaged by the quake, including one structure where part of the roof had collapsed onto vehicles below.
Debris, shattered glass, and rubble were strewn across Port Vila’s streets, painting a picture of destruction.
“Most mobile networks are down,” Thompson explained, highlighting the urgent need for international assistance. “We need medical evacuations and skilled rescue teams—people who know how to handle earthquake situations.”
At least two bridges had collapsed, further complicating recovery efforts, Thompson noted.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami warning following the quake, predicting waves up to one meter for Vanuatu’s coastline.
The warning was later lifted, though small surges were reported in neighboring Pacific islands like Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands.
Vanuatu, a chain of islands with a population of about 320,000, is located along the Ring of Fire—a region of intense tectonic activity encircling the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently hit by earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms, earning it a top spot on the World Risk Report as one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.
As emergency workers race to provide aid, the full scope of the disaster remains unclear. “This is devastating for Vanuatu,” Thompson said, “but the people here are resilient and working tirelessly to save lives.”
