Vanuatu Faces Severe Damage after 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake

Port Vila, MINA – A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila on Tuesday resulting in severe damage to several buildings, including a diplomatic mission building.

“The earthquake occurred 30 kilometers west of Port Vila at 12:47 local time (08:47 WIB), with a depth of 43 kilometers,” stated the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

At least one person has been reported dead, and a mass triage for victims was set up at a hospital in Port Vila following the quake, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Information regarding the extent of the damage has been delayed due to disrupted communications, with telephone lines and government websites down. However, extensive damage reports have started to appear on social media hours after the quake, as reported by The Guardian Australia.

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The Guardian Australia cited a statement from Dan McGarry, a journalist based in Port Vila, who said he saw three people on stretchers “in critical condition” outside a hospital.

A spokesperson for the Red Cross in Fiji reported significant damage from the field.

Video footage shared by Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation showed crowds outside Vila Central Hospital carrying injured citizens on stretchers.

“This is the strongest earthquake I have ever experienced in my 21 years living in Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands. I have witnessed many severe earthquakes, but nothing like this,” said McGarry.

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The embassies of the UK, US, France, and New Zealand sustained damage from the earthquake. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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