Second quake in Vanuatu with at least 14 killed
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A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes Vanuatu.
It’s killed at least 14 people and caused widespread damage.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 57 kilometres and was centred 30 kilometres west of Port Vila, the largest city in Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands that’s home to about 330,000 people.
And a second quake of magnitude 6.1 has struck the island nation early this morning.
Local media has broadcast footage showing vehicles crushed beneath a collapsed building housing foreign missions, including the U-S, British, French, and New Zealand embassies.
Australia has dispatched medical and rescue teams to the small island nation to assist.
With most communications cut, Vanuatu resident Michael Thompson used a satellite internet service to get online and post this update.
“There’s multiple buildings that have come down around town. There’s a big rescue operation underway to clear out some people that are possibly alive in the building. The American embassy is collapsed. The bottom floor, with all the staff possibly inside is just pancake that’s gone. We definitely need help in Port Vila, most of the communications have gone. The only reason we’re on here is we’re just using the Starlink. We’ve managed to get that operational and hook it up to a generator. A lot of people walking around the streets just not sure what to do. We need heavy equipment, and we need some experienced personnel. So, if you’ve got a chance please send that out and see if we can get some assistance down to Vanuatu to Port Vila as quick as we can.”
Dan McGarry is a journalist with the Vanuatu Daily Post.
“It’s a stronger quake than I’ve ever experienced in my 21 years living in Vanuatu and I’ve seen quite a few and quite a few large ones. My wife said it was the largest one she’d seen in her life. She, of course, is born in Vanuatu. So, we got the kids out of the house. We remained safe but there is substantial damage around town.”
He says several people have been injured, with the Red Cross putting the death toll at 14 so far.
“We’ve got a building that has pancaked, that’s collapsed down in the centre of town. I don’t have any news about the number of casualties from there. I did speak with a police officer at the gate of Vila Central Hospital. He told me that there was one confirmed fatality and I saw for myself a mass casualty treatment centre being set up outside the emergency ward of the hospital. I saw multiple people with serious injuries there, some of them screaming in pain.”
Mr Thompson is among those involved in the rescue effort at the collapsed building.
“We are down at the site in town. The road rescue pro-medical, the police are here. The army’s here. They’ve got teams in place trying it to the people as they can. We understand that there’s eight people trapped inside, and the guys are just moving slowly to be able to get in. It’s not a good scene. We expect it’s going to go for a couple of days to do the cleanup. We’re hoping that we’re going to get some assistance from overseas tomorrow. That comes in and can basically support the operations, because quite frankly we need it.”
Katie Greenwood is head of the Asia Pacific Regional Office of the International Federation of Red Cross.
“This looks like something I have never seen certainly in Vanuatu before. And one of the most damaging quakes in the Pacific in my 20 years of working in this area as well. So, it is quite a built-up area in Port Vila. The downtown area is full of large buildings, hotels, lots of structure, shops and what we’re seeing is real damage. I had heard also in some provincial areas of large cracks in buildings. I would say that there would be a lot of confusion happening there at the moment.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the ABC Australia has dispatched several teams to Vanuatu.
“We are aware, obviously, that a number of lives have been lost. I’m not aware that any of those are Australian lives, but we know that that beautiful part of the world, the people there, are doing it really tough right now, and as Australians, we will be there for the people of Vanuatu. We are already deploying search and rescue teams and medical teams, Penny Wong’s been in touch with her counterpart as well to see what additional help, can be provided and if there’s more we can do at the request of the Government of Vanuatu, we will do that, we will be there for the people of Vanuatu who are doing it, especially tough right now.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia is ready to provide even more assistance.
“On behalf of Australians, I want to extend our solidarity and our condolences to the people of Vanuatu. We’ve seen a dreadful tragedy at Port Vila. I want to say that we have reached out to my counterpart by message to offer any support that Vanuatu needs. We’ve also reached out through our High Commissioner. We will provide whatever assistance is required. I say to the people of Vanuatu, you are family and Australia is here to help.”
Australia’s foreign affairs department advises that Australians requiring consular assistance should contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 6261 3305.
